Summer Lovin'
by Jianna
Summary: A darker fiction that begins at the start of season three and will present a new, more logical triangle/quadangle than the show originally gave us. Original 8 plus Valerie. Numerous couples, quite twisty, but BK and BD will win out in the end.
1. One: The Green Eyed Monster

_Author's Notes:_

_Hey everyone! Welcome to my new story! I told myself I wasn't going to start writing this until I finished up _The More Things Change the More They Stay the Same_ but I couldn't help it. Inspiration struck and I had to run with it. Anyway, as the summary explains, this story is taking place in season three at the start of the summer episodes. I figure you'll be able to catch on what is happening fairly quickly. So please read and let me know what you think. I should have a new chapter up fairly soon. Like I said – inspiration struck!_

_Before I begin, though, I'd like to acknowledge Heather from FanForum. I can't quite remember how to spell her username over there and for the life of me I can't remember what it is over here. Anyway… Without her comment in the anti-DK thread I would never have had the idea to create a new triangle, less offensive triangle in the Summer of Deception episodes. So here's to you, Heather. Thanks!_

_Cheers,_

_Jianna_

**Chapter One**

**.*.*.*.**

**Green-Eyed Monster**

"I don't get it. I just don't get it." Brandon Walsh shook his head in frustration as he stared across the table at his best friend, Steve Sanders. They were seated at their favorite booth at the Peach Pit, Brandon taking his fifteen minute break during his final shift as a waiter there until school started back up and the Beverly Hills Beach Club closed its doors for the summer.

"Life's not fair." Steve commiserated after taking a long sip of his Pepsi. "Frankly, though, I'm surprised with your parents. I always figured your father as a bit of a hard ass, but I guess this just proves Brenda has him wrapped around her little finger."

Brandon let out a long sigh of disgusted as he thought about his twin sister. Sometimes he thought she must have been switched at birth. "It's always been that way. Anything Brenda wants, she gets."

"Yeah, but you would think with how she's been acting lately with Dylan your parents would actually try and be a bit harder on her." Steve pointed out the obvious. If only his parents saw it as clearly.

"Maybe I ought to start acting out a bit. Maybe they'll reward me by sending me to the Stanley Cup Playoffs or something." Brandon grumbled, though he knew he would never do anything to purposely irritate his parents. Despite how "uncool" it was, Brandon enjoyed his good relationship with his parents. For the most part, they allowed him to do whatever he wanted – as long as it was not too irrational. Brandon just thought it was unfair that they extended that leniency towards his sister, who seemed to take great delight in doing things to annoy and even hurt their parents.

"Hey guys!"

Brandon and Steve both looked up as Kelly Taylor, Brenda's best friend and the ultimate reason why she was being rewarded for being a brat, waltzed through the door, a happy smile playing across her lips. Brandon felt his heart give a little flip as he studied her, noticing not for the first time just how beautiful she really was. But beyond being quite possibly one of the loveliest young women Brandon had ever seen, she had a sweet spirit and fantastic personality. All in all, she was the ultimate catch. Unfortunately, Steve had 'caught' her before Brandon had ever moved to Beverly Hills and Brandon would not cross that line.

"Hey Kelly." Steve greeted his ex-girlfriend, pure adoration mirroring in his eyes and Brandon breathed a silent thank you that he had not gone with his gut instinct at the Spring Dance a couple of years ago and gave in to Kelly's advances.

Kelly slipped into the booth, taking the seat next to Steve but opposite Brandon. "What are you guys up to?" Then, noticing Brandon's uniform, she added, "I thought you were working at the beach club this summer again."

"I am." Brandon informed her, pleased that she actually knew what his plans for the summer were. "Today's my last day at the Pit. I sure am going to miss this place." He cast an appreciative glance around the old fifties style dinner, wishing that business did not slow down so much during the summer months that he had to work at the beach club instead just to pay for his auto insurance.

"Well, I see you're hard at work. As usual." She teased as she stole a French fry off from Steve's plate, popping it in her mouth, managing to look absolutely adorable in the process.

"Very funny." Brandon found himself grinning at Kelly, "I'm on my break. I don't have to go back to work for another ten minutes."

"You know, this is all her fault." Steve suddenly interjected into the conversation, turning sideways in the booth so he could look at Kelly. "If it weren't for Kelly flaking on her trip to Paris, there would have never been an extra ticket for your parents to give to Brenda."

"Hey! You're right." Brandon shot Kelly a look of mock-annoyance. "It _is_ all your fault my parents favor Brenda over me."

"Don't be ridiculous, Brandon." Kelly rolled her eyes as she flicked her long, golden-blonde tresses over her shoulders. "Jim and Cindy are shipping Brenda off to Paris to get her away from Dylan. Even she knows that."

"Yeah, but Paris? Come on." Brandon found his irritation with his parents decision returning. "Wouldn't a convent be a much better place for her if they wanted to get her away from Dylan?"

Kelly gave him a look that quickly put his disgruntled spirit into check. "You should be happy for your sister, Brandon." She stated firmly. "She's always dreamed of going to Paris and she finally has the opportunity."

"Finally." Brandon found himself rolling his eyes as he shook his head. "She's barely seventeen, Kelly. Most people who dream of visiting to Paris get to see it when they're seventy, not seventeen. I understand my parents reasons for wanting to get Brenda away from Dylan, but I just don't see why they felt that sending her to Paris was the answer. Our aunt back in Minnesota has been asking for Brenda to come out and spend a few weeks with her for months now. Why couldn't they have sent her back there?"

Kelly scrunched up her nose. "Ew. Minnesota in the summer? Isn't the humidity awful there?"

"You've been to Minnesota in the summer?" Brandon challenged.

Kelly shook her head. "I've actually never been to Minnesota period, much less in the summertime."

"We'll have to fix that someday." Brandon found himself saying, his cheeks flushing a little at Kelly's shocked expression. "What I mean is, well, uh…" He trailed off, glancing away.

A strange looked flashed over Steve's face, but he quickly masked it. "I was there once during August with my dad on a golfing expedition. The courses are terrible. And yes, Kelly, the humidity is awful. But, for everything she's put Jim and Cindy through the past several months, she deserves to suffer a little."

Kelly gave Steve a very similar look to the one she had just given Brandon. "Brenda's my best friend. Even though I agree that the relationship between her and Dylan got a little too intense for a high school relationship, I just want to see her happy."

Brandon studied her thoughtfully, thankful that Brenda had found a friend such as Kelly in Beverly Hills. Even if he didn't think Brenda always deserved the loyalty, but that was just right now because he was green with envy. "I guess I want Brenda to be happy too." He admitted at last, abet reluctantly. "And you're right. She's ecstatic about Paris. I just wish I was going too instead of being stuck in California, working."

"Oh, poor baby." Kelly teased, a wide smile on her face. "Do you know how many teenagers wish they could spend their summer 'stuck in California?'"

"Yeah, I know."

"And besides, Bran my man," Steve grinned, "This is _our_ summer."

"Our summer?" Brandon echoed, his eyebrows shooting up. "How so?"

"Our summer for lovin', of course." Steve returned. "I figure it's high time I get over that blonde bitch who broke up with me a couple of years ago and move on with my life."

"Hey!" Kelly playfully punched him in the arm.

"If the shoe fits…" Steve continued, his eyes dancing mischievously.

"Whatever." Kelly brushed him off, though Brandon could tell she was genuinely upset by Steve's comment. "I need to go. I promised Jackie I'd pick up lunch and it looks like its ready." She rose to her feet, a sad smile twisting up on her lips. "See you guys."

"Bye Kel." Brandon found himself rising at the same time. "I actually need to get back to work too. You need anything, Steve?"

"Refill?" Steve held up his empty glass.

Brandon took the glass as he asked, "Pepsi, right?"

"Of course." Steve answered. "All the cool kids drink Pepsi."

Brandon and Kelly both rolled their eyes then turned and walked up to the counter together. Even though he knew they were still in eyesight of Steve, Brandon grabbed onto Kelly's hand, holding her back for a second. "He's wrong, you know. You're not a bitch."

"I know." Kelly replied, obviously attempting to gain some composure.

"He's still sore that you dumped him. But, I've got to tell you, after seeing the way he treats the girls he's dated, I don't blame you one bit." Brandon offered her a small smile. "I know it's two years, but in boy ego years, that's about two weeks."

"I just wish he'd get over it." Kelly shifted her gaze to stare out across the diner, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. "Whenever I think he and I are falling into a friendship he says something mean like that and I just can't get over it and find myself getting angry with him all over again."

"Well, don't. Like I said, he's just saying that to you to get under your skin. He probably sees you upset right now and thinks its some kind of victory or something. Like he's getting you back for hurting him."

Kelly just shrugged, refusing to meet his gaze. "I need to go before the food gets cold." She slipped past Brandon and approached the counter, accepting the food from Nat and passing him a twenty. Brandon couldn't help but notice she was all smiles for the owner of the Peach Pit. Sometimes he couldn't help but think she might be a better actress than Brenda.

Brandon watched her leave the restaurant before he went and got Steve his refill. "Hey Brandon," Nat greeted him when he moved back behind the counter, chuckling. "You really need to start cutting your fifteen minute break down to twenty minutes or so."

"Sorry about that, Nat." Brandon quickly apologized. Even though it was his final shift for nearly three months, Brandon still felt it was very important to finish strong. "Kelly was upset."

"Yeah, I noticed." Nat nodded, frowning a little. "Steve say something to her?"

"How'd you guess?"

"It's always Steve that upsets her like that." Nat explained, shaking his head sadly. "Steve or her father, that is. You need to take your friend out or something. Get him to meet somebody new so he'll stop giving poor Kelly such a hard time."

"I've tried, Nat. Steve isn't so great with the ladies."

"Then maybe you should offer him some lessons."

"Perhaps you haven't noticed, but my last girlfriend tried to burn my house down." Brandon chuckled, shaking his head. "You know, Steve thinks this summer is going to be all about the ladies, but honestly, I think its going to end up being a very, very lonely summer."

"Chin up, kid. I've seen the way the girls look at you. You're not going to be lonely for long."

"But I don't want just any girl, Nat." Brandon let out a weary sigh, folding his arms against his chest as he surveyed the diner, noting that indeed several of the young women in the place were shooting sideways glances in his direction. "I'm tried of playing the game."

"Oh poor you." Nat mocked, his tone echoing Kelly's from when she said nearly the exact same words only a few minutes earlier. "You're seventeen, Brandon. You're not even old enough to play the game yet."

Brandon shook his head. "I've got tables to wait on." He stated, noting that Steve was beckoning him over yet again.

"He better leave you a big tip." Nat chuckled. "I think he likes having you as his personal servant."

"You got that impression too, huh?" Brandon grinned as he walked back to where his friend was still lounging in the booth, nursing his Pepsi and platter of fries. "What do you want?" He found himself frowning.

"What time do you get off?" Steve asked.

"Four o'clock, why?"

"Well, I was thinking tonight would be a good night to have a barbecue. Sort of as a sendoff for Brenda."

Brandon rolled his eyes. "A sendoff for Brenda? Since when did you care a hoot about my sister?"

"Hey, I care." Steve defended himself, pretending to be offended by Brandon's comment. He wasn't able to maintain the act long. "Alright, you're right. I don't. Not that much anyway."

"Whatever." Brandon brushed him off. He was fully aware that the only reason Steve didn't 'care for' Brenda that much was because she was dating Dylan. If she were single, Brandon doubted he would have been able to keep Steve away from her. "Why do you really want to have a barbecue?"

"Honestly," Steve appraised him frankly. "So I can apologize to Kelly. I was pretty harsh with her and she didn't deserve that. It just upset me to see my best friend making the moves on her."

"I was not making the moves on her."

"You offered to take her to Minnesota." Steve pointed out.

"That is not what I meant." Brandon frowned, well knowing that was exactly how he had meant it but not about to admit it to Steve. "I'm not trying to trespass on what you think is your territory, but I've got to be honest with you Steve, you have _got_ to get over her. She's not your girlfriend anymore and it's been two years."

"I know, man, but Kelly Taylor… She's hard to get out of your system. Every time I think I'm finally over her I see her again and its like we just broke up. Never fall for her, man. One, I'd have to kill you, and two, you'd never be able to fall in love with anyone else."

"I'll keep that in mind." Brandon gave him a tight smile, wondering if it was already too late for him. "Now, did you need anything or can I go call my mom and see if she'd be okay hosting a party at the last minute?"

"Don't let me stop you. Just bring me back a Megaburger on your way back. These fries just aren't doing it for me today."

Brandon nodded, not even bothering to jot down the order in his notepad. He knew Nat had already told Willie to start prepping Steve's custom Megaburger with no pickles and extra onions. No wonder Kelly had broken up with him.

"Megaburger?" Nat asked and Brandon nodded. "I figured."

"I know." Brandon smiled. "Do you mind if I make a quick phone call?"

"Go right ahead. We're slow." Nat shrugged. "Actually, if you want to take off early, you can do that too."

"Naw, man, I need the money."

"That's alright. You've worked hard for me all year. I wouldn't dream of docking your pay for clocking out a couple of hours early."

"Really?"

"Of course." Nat smiled. "Go on. Go have fun. I know you're starting at the Beach Club tomorrow. You deserve at least half a day of summer vacation."

"Thanks, Nat." Brandon hurried to the back, punching his time card before he picked up the phone and dialed his home number.

After the fourth ring Cindy answered, her voice sounding stressed. "Hello?"

"Mom? What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. Nothing's wrong, not really."

"What did Brenda do?" Brandon demanded, his anger kicking up into high gear. "What stunt did she pull this time?"

"It's not your sister, Brandon. And nothing is wrong. Now, why did you call? Is something wrong at the Peach Pit?"

"Naw. Nat is actually letting me off early. I just had a favor to ask you."

"What is that?"

"Well, I sort of wanted to throw a last minute going away party for Brenda and I was wondering if we could barbecue at the house."

"Oh!" Cindy actually sounded excited. "That sounds wonderful, Brandon. You are so thoughtful. And here I thought you were going to be upset because Brenda was going to Paris and you have to stay here."

"Well, I was upset at first. But I got over it. I just want Brenda to be happy."

"Me too." Cindy agreed.

"So it's okay then? We can have the barbecue?"

"I don't see a problem. In fact, I think it will be perfect timing. Who all will be coming?"

"I don't know. I figure just the regular gang. Steve, Kelly, David, Donna, Andrea…Dylan."

"Perfect. I'll pull some hamburger out to thaw. Call your friends and pick up some chips and soda on your way home."

"Will do." Brandon replied, then quickly added before hanging up the phone, "Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome, Brandon. See you in a bit."

Brandon quickly replaced the phone in the receiver. He turned, not at all surprised to find that Steve had followed him into the back, an expectant grin on his face. "So, what did she say?"

"She said it was fine."

"Alright!" Steve exclaimed. "Party at the Walsh house tonight!"

"Not quite a party. I just told her it was the usual gang." Brandon cautioned him, his brow furrowing. He couldn't get over the fact that his mother sounded strange when he spoke with her, almost as if she were upset about something. "No one else, Steve. And I mean it."

"Alright." Steve grumbled. "As long as Kelly comes. I'll call her first."

"Maybe you ought to let me do that invite." Brandon suggested. "I'm not too sure she'll say yes if you call her."

"You're right. You should call her." Steve agreed. He quickly hurried off to use the payphone by the bathrooms, leaving Brandon with the regular phone.

Brandon hesitated for a long moment, wondering if Kelly would actually be home yet. Then, making a spontaneous decision and jotting Steve a quick note to let him know he was picking up a few things, he grabbed his keys and left the Pit, praying that Steve would not make good on his promise to kill him if he fell for Kelly Taylor.

_Author's Notes:_

_So, what did you guys think? Was it alright? I've got a few twists in store with this story but I want to make sure there's an interest level first. So please let me know if you liked it and if you want me to keep writing. If so, I should have the next chapter up soonish._

_Cheers,_

_Jianna_


	2. Two: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

_Author's Notes:_

_Okay, just kidding. I finished up the second chapter before I got a chance to post the first, so I'll be posting both back to back. Hope you guys don't mind too much. ;) Anyway, please read and review. I would love to hear what you guys think. This is my first attempt at altering the actual storyline of the series and I hope I don't offend too many people out there by doing so. Anyway, I'll stop rambling and let you guys read. _

**Chapter Two**

**.*.*.*.**

**Guess Who's Coming to Dinner**

Brenda Walsh lingered in the hallway, anxiously listening to her mother's strained conversation with one of her best friends from back in Minnesota, Abby Malone. Though the Malones had moved from Minneapolis to Buffalo, New York a couple of years before the Walshes had moved to Beverly Hills, both families had remained close and Brenda wrote the daughter, Valerie, at least once a week.

"I need to talk to Jim, Abby." Cindy was telling her friend, sounding far more stressed than Brenda had heard her mother sound in a long time. "It's not something I can just agree to over the phone."

Cindy fell silent for several minutes, and Brenda wished she could pick up the telephone in the study without alerting both her mother and Abby to someone eavesdropping on the conversation – though if Brenda knew Valerie, she knew her friend was probably back in New York listening in.

"Abby," Cindy began speaking again, this time her voice thick with emotion. "Abby, you need to calm down. No, I don't think Jim will refuse, but we don't have that much room here. But I really don't think-"

Abby had obviously cut Cindy off and she fell quiet again. Brenda decided now was the time to make her presence known. She stepped into the kitchen, her eyes on her mother. From Cindy's expression, Brenda immediately knew that her mother had known all along that Brenda was lurking in the hallway.

"Abby, hold on a minute. I've got another call." She paused. "Yes, I promise, I'll be right back. Just let me get rid of them."

Cindy's face was stricken with worry as she clicked over to the other line. "Hello?" Cindy answered, her voice thick with emotion, she paused, obviously listening to the person on the other line before she replied. "Oh, nothing. Nothing's wrong, not really."

Brenda arched her eyebrows, recognizing her mother's lying tone instantly. Something was definitely wrong and it obviously had something to do with the Malones. Brenda hoped Valerie hadn't landed herself into trouble. Again.

"It's not your sister, Brandon." Cindy was saying, and Brenda was not surprised that Brandon would automatically assume whatever the problem was, it had something to do with her. "And nothing is wrong. Now, why did you call? Is something wrong at the Peach Pit?" Brenda could tell her mother was trying to sound casual and relaxed, but she doubted even Brandon bought it.

"What is that?" Cindy listened for several seconds, a genuine smile spreading across her lips at whatever Brandon was saying. "Oh!" She exclaimed. "That sounds wonderful Brandon. You are so thoughtful. And here I thought you were going to be upset because Brandon was going to Paris and you have to stay here."

Cindy shot Brenda a 'told you so' look with the last statement. It was actually Brenda who had assumed Brandon would be upset that she was getting to go to Paris. Her brother always had a sense of entitlement that drove Brenda nuts. The worst part was, he thought the exact same thing of her.

"Me too." Cindy had gone on to say. She paused then continued, "I don't see a problem. In fact, I think it will be perfect timing. Who all will be coming?"

Brenda was taken by surprise again. Obviously Brandon was planning something, and unless she had completely missed her guess, it was something to do with her. She glanced at her mother questioningly, but Cindy had turned, her head, studying the backyard as if to assess something.

"Perfect. I'll pull some hamburger out to thaw. Call your friends and pick up some chips and soda on your way home." A wide smile spread across Cindy's lips. "You're welcome, Brandon. See you in a bit."

"What's going on Mom?" Brenda asked, but Cindy had already clicked over to the other line before she could answer. Brenda bit back a frown, walking over to the refrigerator, looking for something to snack on.

With only half a ear, Brenda listened in on her mother's and Abby's conversation. It was apparent that Abby was still extremely upset about something and kept trying to get Cindy to promise something, though Cindy was standing firm. After searching the fridge in vain, Brenda pulled open the freezer, a delighted smile spreading across her lips as she spied the ice cream well hidden behind a bag of frozen peas.

Brenda grabbed the ice cream and a spoon out of the drawer, then plopped down on one of the barstools, preparing to eat the ice cream straight out of the carton. Cindy noticed this and gave her the evil eye, but would not get off the phone to tell Brenda what was going on and why she was so upset.

Suddenly, Cindy's eyes widened and she exclaimed loudly, "You what?! You can't have done that, Abby! We're not ready. I haven't spoken with Jim. How could you put me in this position, Abby?"

Brenda rose to her feet, her ice cream momentarily forgotten. She quickly went over to her mother's side, touching her arm in concern. "What's going on?" She mouthed.

"Abby, I need to go. Just give me the flight information and I'll make sure someone is there to pick her up." Cindy pulled out a pad of paper and quickly began jotting down the details Abby was giving her over the phone, a worried expression lining her face and making her look years older than she really was. "Alright. I got it." Cindy repeated the information back to Abby. Someone will be there."

Cindy said her goodbyes as Brenda waited patiently at her mother's side, her curiosity driving her wild. Finally, Cindy replaced the phone in its cradle and turned to her daughter, her expression grim.

"What's going on, Mom?" Brenda asked for the third time, though to be fair, this was really the first opportunity Cindy actually had to answer. "What's the matter? Did something happen with Valerie?"

Cindy's lips were drawn together in a thin line and Brenda could tell her mother was struggling to control her tears. "Yes, something happened to Valerie. Valerie happened to Valerie."

"What do you mean?" Brenda asked. She knew her friend was a bit of a troublemaker, always pushing the limits, but deep down inside Valerie was really just a sweet girl who struggled to fit in. "What happened?"

Cindy cleared her throat, studying Brenda intently. "She tried to kill herself."

"She what?!" Brenda exclaimed, her heart feeling as if it had stopped inside her chest. "She tried to kill herself?"

Cindy nodded. "That's what Abby told me. Apparently, Valerie overdosed on some sleeping pills. The doctors don't think it was a genuine attempt to take her life, more of a cry for help."

"A cry for help." Brenda found herself echoing her mother's words, her mind scrambling to recall the details of the last letter she had received from Valerie a couple of weeks ago. Valerie had sounded alright. She had even said her relationship with her father was improving.

"Abby and Paul* are both a wreck. The children are terrified and the doctors would not release Valerie from the hospital unless they knew she was going to be in a safe place where she could get better."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying," Cindy was staring at Brenda again, causing her to feel suddenly very uncomfortable. "Valerie is going to be living with us for a little while."

"With us?" Brenda exclaimed, a sense of nervousness and excitement mingling.

"I don't know for how long." Cindy went on to say. "She'll sleep in your room while you're in Paris-"

"I'm not going to Pairs. Not now." Brenda shook her head, her refusal adamant.

"Yes you are, Brenda." Cindy fixed a warning look on her. "You are not pulling _your_ life on hold because your friend is troubled. Besides, I'm not sure I would want you around Valerie right now."

"What do you mean? We used to be best friends."

"Yes, but Valerie is very unstable. She needs some space to figure things out."

"I would give her space."

Cindy shook her head. "I know that, honey, but really think it would be best for both of you if you went to Pairs. You know Valerie has always compared herself to you, always finding herself lacking. I think that if she had you here as a daily reminder of her failures, well, it wouldn't be good for her."

"So you're saying I have to leave because my friend has emotional issues?"

"No. You have to go because you deserve to go to Pairs and are looking forward to it. Up until I got off the phone with Abby, that was all you had been talking about since you heard about the trip. Your father and I want you to go. Not only because we feel you need some space and distance from Dylan, but because this is an opportunity of a lifetime and you cannot miss out on it because you feel obligated to stay in California for Valerie."

Brenda slowly digested this, realizing the logic of Cindy's thinking. Valerie always _had_ compared herself to Brenda. Though they had a good friendship, there was always a deeply seeded competition between the two of them. And, as Cindy said, it was usually Brenda who 'won.' Just about the only thing Valarie had bested Brenda in was that she started wearing a bra before Brenda.

"Alright." Brenda consented at last, letting out a long sigh. "I'll go. Though I really think Valerie would benefit from me being here."

"Brandon will take good care of her." Cindy attempted to assure her, but the mention of her brother made Brenda even more uneasy. Brenda knew Valerie had always had a crush on Brandon. She didn't know if she trusted her friend to share a bathroom with her brother.

"Speaking of Brandon…" Brenda attempted to change the subject. "Did he call?"

"Oh yes!" Cindy's eyes widened. "He wants to have a going away party for you tonight. I had completely forgotten when Abby told me Valerie was going to be flying in."

"Both of them tonight?" Brenda echoed.

Cindy nodded. "Yes. Now, I'm going to pull the meat out to thaw. I know Steve will be coming and he's very good at barbecuing. He can be in charge of that while your father and I go pick Valerie up."

"Do you think it's a good idea for Valerie to show up with a party in fully swing?"

"It's not really a party, Brenda." Cindy informed her. "Just your gang. I think that will actually be good for Valerie. Like a welcome back to reality."

"Or disreality, Mom. You seem to be forgetting we live in Beverly Hills. If Valerie had self-esteem issues before, imagine how she'll feel after seeing picture perfect Kelly Taylor?"

"That is not a very nice thing to say, Brenda. You know Kelly has her own issues that she struggles with."

"I know." Brenda grumbled, suddenly realizing she now understood how Valerie had felt while they were growing up. Brenda tried to stop herself, but she was constantly comparing herself to Kelly and finding herself lacking. "Look, I need to get ready. And, um, I'm going to call Dylan. He's invited, right?"

"Of course." Cindy assured her. "I think that with everything that is going on, your father will hardly even notice he's in the house."

"Somehow, I doubt that." Brenda frowned, then leaned forward and gave her mom a quick peck on the cheek. She then turned, hurrying towards the stairs, pretending to have not heard her mom when she called after her reminding her that she had left the ice cream out.

Once inside the privacy of her room, Brenda pulled out the cordless phone, quickly dialing the phone number she knew as well as her own. Dylan answered on the second ring, his voice low and sexy, sending goose bumps down her back.

"Hey, Dylan. It's me."

"Hey, Bren." She loved the way he said her name. He said it almost lazily yet still managed to make her feel the most important person in the world. "What's up?"

Brenda got straight to the point. "We're having a barbecue at my house tonight. Brandon wants to have a going away party for me or something."

"So why are you telling me?"

"Because I want you to come." Brenda frowned, thinking this should have been obvious to him.

"Bren, I don't think your father wants me within a hundred feet of your house right now." Dylan protested. "I was thinking I was going to try and lay low for a little while. At least until you get back from Paris."

"Don't be ridiculous." Brenda argued. "I don't care what my father says. I want you to come tonight. I want to see you at least one more time before I leave."

"I'll see you tomorrow morning before the shuttle picks you up."

"That's not what I meant, Dylan." Brenda began to gnaw on her lower lip. It had always been a struggle to get Dylan to come over rather than her go over to his house. "Look, I don't think my father will even notice you tonight." She attempted to use Cindy's line. "There's some other major drama happening and he'll be gone for most of the party."

"What's going on?"

Brenda hesitated, wondering just how much she should reveal to Dylan about why Valerie was going to be coming to live with them for an undetermined amount of time. "One of my friends from Minnesota is going to be staying with us for awhile."

"Really? That's unexpected, right?"

"Yeah, it is." Brenda agreed. "She's having some family troubles and I guess she needs to get some space. Her parents talked to my parents and they said she could stay here."

"For how long?"

"I don't know. Probably at least while I'm in Paris. I hope she stays longer, though. I haven't seen her for several years and we used to be really close."

"What's her name?"

"Valerie."

"Haven't heard you mention her before."

"I know. But that's because I don't really talk about many people from Minnesota. She and I write back and forth all the time, though." Brenda went on to explain. "Growing up we were best friends. She used to tell me she was going to marry Brandon one day."

"She cute?"

"Dylan!" Brenda would have socked him if he had been in front of her.

"I'm just playing. You know you're the only girl in the entire world for me." Dylan paused for a moment, "I love you, Brenda."

"I know." Brenda murmured, feeling silly that even after nearly two years together those words still managed to make her knees go weak. "So, you coming tonight?"

"What time?"

"Five o'clock?" Brenda hazard a guess, knowing that it was probably a bit early, but Dylan could help set things up if he wanted.

"I'll be there."

"Great." Brenda found herself smiling. "I'll see you in a little bit then. I love you."

"I love you too." He responded, then hung up the phone.

Brenda listened to the empty silence on the other end for half a minute, the clicked the phone off, setting it on her vanity. She stared at herself in the mirror, scrutinizing her reflection critically. She looked exhausted and she was in desperate need of a trim. She knew she wouldn't have time to get it done before she flew to Paris, but maybe she could have some French hairdresser do something for her.

Immediately liking that idea, Brenda turned, directing her attention to her closet where most of her clothes were already packed. She had left a few cute outfits out, though, because she had not had the room in her suitcase. Selecting an emerald green tank top and a pair of white cut off shorts, Brenda quickly changed, knowing the color would bring out the green in her eyes.

After pulling her hairbrush through her hair a dozen or so times and touching up her makeup, she felt as ready as she could be. She glanced down at her alarm clock on her beside table, realizing she still had a good hour before Dylan would show up, plenty of time to call Donna and she how she was doing with her packing.

Brenda dialed Donna's phone number, waiting impatiently as it rang half a dozen times before an answering machine picked up. "Hey Donna, it's Brenda. I was just calling to see if you were coming tonight. Let me know." She hung up the phone with a frown. She doubted Donna would call her back. She was notorious for not returning calls.

With a sigh, Brenda took a seat, noticing a letter leaning up against the mirror for the first time. It was from Valerie and the postmark was for last week.

Quickly, Brenda tore open the letter, her heart thudding painfully in her chest as she read the words. Tears began to sting the back of her eyes, but she blinked them away quickly so she could actually make it through the entire letter.

_Hey Brenda,_

_I'm sorry I haven't responded to your past few letters. I know I've been a flake lately, but I've been going through some stuff that I haven't really wanted to talk about. You and Brandon are clear across the country and there's no one here in Buffalo that I could even pretend to trust. I know there's nothing you or I can really do about it and I feel guilty even thinking about telling you this in a letter, but I don't know if I can keep it inside any longer._

_As you've probably already figured, I lost my virginity a long time ago. What you probably didn't know, though, was this happened when I was about six. It seemed like every single night for years of my childhood Paul would come into my room and do things to me that no child should know about. He also made me swear not to tell a soul, and as he was 'Daddy' to me, I always did as he told me._

_When I was about ten or eleven, he finally stopped. I don't know what happened, but that's when our relationship completely disincarnated, if you could call it a relationship. Looking back on it now, I think he realized that I was getting old enough to realize what he was doing to me was wrong and that eventually I would open my big mouth and get him in trouble. He stopped when I was still young enough that people could tell me it was just a figment of my imagination. Or at least that's what Abby kept telling me it was._

_About the time that we moved to Buffalo, I finally mentioned it to Abby. She laughed in my face and told me I was making it all up to cause problems between her and my dad. I don't know which hurt worse – the abuse or the fact that my mother wouldn't believe me. I know what happened to me was real, though, and I'm asking that despite what you think you know about my father, that you'll believe me._

_It's really important to me because several weeks ago I saw Paul going into my little sister's room. I knew I should have gone in and stopped him, but I was completely powerless. I was curled up in a ball in my own bed bawling my eyes out, knowing exactly what he was doing to Beth, just thankful that he wasn't doing it to me. The next morning Beth looked at me and I could just tell she knew that I knew. She hasn't spoken to me since._

_Finally, I worked up the nerve and confronted Paul. It wasn't pretty. He called me all kinds of names and knocked me around a little bit. I could have taken that if it had ended up protecting Beth, but he still went after her. And then the next night he came after me again. _

_Yesterday I finally told Abby what had happened. As I had expected, she threatened to have me locked up, sent to a mental institution or something. She told me I was a bad seed and that she didn't want me influencing Kevin or Beth any longer. Then I told her my period was late. She went ballistic after that. I thought she was going to throw me out, but for some reason she didn't. Instead, she locked herself up in her room and cried for hours. _

_I'm planning on going to Planned Parenthood tomorrow. Get a test to see if I really am pregnant with my own sister. I don't know what I'll do if I am. I'll be honest with you, the thought of killing myself has crossed my mind a time or two. _

_No matter what, this will probably be the last letter I write to you. I love you dearly, Brenda. You've been my best friend my entire life. But right now I can't even pretend to care about Jim being completely unfair to you and Dylan or what Kelly and Donna were wearing to the latest dance. I'm sorry. _

_Love always,_

_Valerie_

Author's Notes:

_Alright, so this story is going to be a bit heavy in parts. Sorry guys. But I'm trying to explore a younger, less jaded version of Valerie. Get her at the point where she hasn't quite broken and become the malicious bitch that she was when she showed up in Beverly Hills (though I adored that bitch!). Anyway… Please let me know what you guys think. Also, for the life of me I cannot remember any of Valerie's family members' names except her mother, so I sort of made them up as I went along. If anyone actually knows the names, please let me know and I'll fix the story. Thanks!_

_As always, please take the time to leave me a review and let me know what you guys think. Thanks!_


	3. Three: You're the Sunshine of My Life

_Author's Notes:_

_Hey guys! New part. Sorry it took me longer than I expect to get this up. I've been swamped with work. Plus, I've been toying with chapters for _Error Proof _and _The More Things Change_ at the same time, which means I don't get chapters posted for any of my stories. :p Next time I promise I won't multitask so much. :) Anyway… I'm thinking I am probably going to try and write this entire story from Brandon & Brenda's points of view. At first it was just going to be Brandon's, but I had already screwed up by the second chapter. But we'll see how well I manage with alternating between the Walsh twins. Just don't give me too hard of a time when I screw up by the next chapter. ;)_

**Chapter Three**

**.*.*.*.**

**You're the Sunshine of My Life**

Brandon pulled his cream-colored Mustang convertible into the Taylor's long driveway, pulling up behind Kelly's sporty red BMW, quickly cutting the engine and hopping out, not even bothering to open the door. Jim always lectured him on getting out of his car like that, but it had become a habit and Brandon didn't know he could remember to get out of the car using the door even if we wanted to.

He purposefully made his way up the walkway, ignoring the nervous and slightly guilty feeling he had been experiencing since he had left the Peach Pit parking lot. He knew that even though Steve and Kelly had broken up years ago, his friend would consider any play for Kelly a betrayal and while Brandon wasn't exactly going to ask Kelly out, Brandon had been toying with the notion on and off again for the past several months.

Brandon approached the front door, ringing the doorbell once then taking a step back to wait politely for someone to come to the door. After several minutes, Brandon rang the bell again, wondering where Kelly was. Her car was in the drive. She should be here.

Deciding against ringing the bell one last time just in case Erin was asleep and the noise would awaken her, Brandon followed the path along the side of the house, hoping the Taylors didn't have a dog. He didn't mind dogs so much – Brenda had adopted enough of them over the years – but for some reason they weren't always his biggest fan.

He approached a side gate that led into the back yard, though he could see over it and into the yard easily. He had never been to Kelly's house, just dropped Brenda off a time or two, but he was not surprised to see a large pool and in-ground sauna. He spotted Kelly lounging by the pool, her eyes closed, though she didn't appear to be asleep.

"Kelly!" Brandon shouted, hoping to get her attention. The blonde stirred, sitting up a bit. She looked over his direction, a confused expression on her face. "Kelly, it's me. Brandon."

"Yeah, I know who you are." Kelly called back, finally rising to her feet and slowly making her way over to the gate. She stopped a couple of feet away, studying him thoughtfully. "What are you doing here?"

Brandon stared at her, a little taken aback at her tone. Then he noticed her eyes were red-rimmed and her face tinged pink and a bit puffy. She had obviously been crying. "Um, look, sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you, I just, well…" He trailed off, feeling sheepish and suddenly helpless. He never really knew what to say to Brenda whenever she started to cry and he felt just as inadequate when dealing with her best friend's tears.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I'm just not feeling well." Kelly apologized, glancing away so Brandon couldn't look her in the eyes. She quickly unlocked the gate, opening it to allow him entrance. "Come on in."

Brandon brushed past Kelly as he stepped into her back yard, his eyes widening when he realized just how large it was. "I didn't realize houses in California had lawns this big." He remarked as Kelly closed the gate behind him.

"My mom bought it in the heyday of her modeling career." Kelly explained. "She wanted me to have a big back yard to be able to play in. Then she dragged me around to all these modeling gigs so I barely got to see the place." She shrugged. "So, why _are _you here? Please don't say Steve asked you to come to apologize."

Brandon forced out a laugh, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. He wasn't exactly sure why he had come. Defaulting to the excuse he was using, he replied stating, "Actually, I haven't. I wanted to invite you to a last minute barbecue I'm throwing together as a sort of send off for Brenda."

Kelly arched an eyebrow and Brandon could tell she saw straight through his lie. "Really?" She questioned, a smile playing up the corners of her mouth. "Just how last minute is this barbecue? Wait, don't tell me." She continued, shaking her head. "Let me guess. I figure this was decided about fifteen to twenty minutes after I left the Pit, right?"

"How'd you know?"

"Because," She retorted, her frown returning, marring her normally flawless face. "That's just about how long it takes Steve to realize what an ass he's been. He's used this ploy before. Get someone to invite me over so he can just happen to show up as well and then apologize. Then, after he apologizes he'll ask me out again and then whine all night to anyone who will listen about what a bitch I am because I turned him down again."

"I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize for him." Kelly let out a long sigh. "And I don't need him to apologize either. Calling me a bitch is not the worst that he has done before. I should be used to it by now."

"What do you mean?"

Kelly shrugged, her expression glum. "It doesn't matter. I don't really want to talk about Steve and me, though."

Brandon nodded. "Alright. What do you want to talk about then?"

"I didn't realize you came over here to talk. I thought you only dropped by to invite me to the barbecue." Kelly pointed out, studying him thoughtfully. Suddenly, Brandon felt very transparent.

"Well, when you left the Peach Pit, you seemed really upset. I thought you might need someone to talk to. With Brenda and Donna leaving for Paris tomorrow, I didn't know if you had anybody."

A smile flashed across Kelly's face, causing Brandon's heart to give a little lurch. She was so damn beautiful. "Thank you, Brandon. That's really sweet of you."

"I'm used to listening to Brenda lament about her problems. I figured that since you deciding not to go to Paris gave me a summer off from Brenda's drama the least I could do is be a listening ear for you when you need me."

"Thanks." Kelly was still smiling, but Brandon could tell she was still deeply troubled. She didn't say anything for several minutes, he gaze shifting back and forth from his face and staring out across her lawn, almost as if she were debating something within herself.

At last, after Brandon had almost given up on her saying anything, she opened her mouth, hesitating for a moment before she spoke. "Brandon, can I ask you a very serious question?"

"Of course."

"Will you tell me the truth, no matter how much you think it might hurt me?" She pressed, her eyes pleading.

"If that's what you want." Brandon furrowed his brow, an earlier conversation with his father coming back to him. Jim had warned him that sometimes when a girl asked for the truth that was the exact opposite of what they wanted. But somehow, Brandon could tell that no matter how hard the truth would be for Kelly to swallow, that was exactly what she needed, even if she didn't want it.

"It's what I want." Kelly insisted. She looked up, staring him directly in the eye and Brandon felt as if she could suddenly see directly into his very soul. "Brandon," She whispered softly, her voice tender and vulnerable. "Do you think I'm a slut?"

Brandon's reply came immediately as he shook his head. "No, Kelly. Of course not. Why would you think I would even consider looking at you in that way?"

"Because most everyone else does." Kelly explained, chewing on her lower lip in distress. "Because it's the truth."

"It is _not_ the truth." Brandon shook his head, frowning. Brenda had hinted at the fact that years ago Kelly had been a bit of a bimbo, but Brandon had never seen any evidence of that. He knew she had gone on a few dates with a couple college guys last year, but according to Brenda, nothing had come of either of them.

"Yeah, it is." Kelly's lips twisted up in a remorseful smile. "You didn't know me freshman year. I thought that more people would like me if I put out for every guy I went on a date with. I thought that I would make a name for myself. Turns out I did. Kelly the Slut."

"Kel," Brandon stepped closer to her, placing his hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. "I don't know that Kelly Taylor. The Kelly Taylor I know is bright and beautiful, has a wicked sense of humor, is a true friend, and _doesn't_ sleep around."

"If that's true, then why has my reputation seemed to have gotten _worse_ over the past couple of years?" Kelly sniffed, wiping at tears with the back of her hand. "I almost think I should just give up and go back to that girl who was such a great first date."

Brandon cringed inwardly. If he knew guys, and he was pretty sure he did seeing as how he was one, he knew _exactly_ why Kelly's reputation had gotten worse. As soon as all those stupid jerks realized that Kelly wasn't going to put out for them any longer, they got angry with her and started spreading nasty rumors about her. Brandon had to admit he had heard a few of them – especially after he had agreed to take her to the Spring Dance – but he refused to believe they were true.

"You don't want to do that, Kel." Brandon murmured, pulling her closer to him so that they were only a couple of feet apart. "That would be going backwards and you know it."

"Yeah, I do." She agreed, the tears streaming down her cheeks. "And I know I'm not going to do that. It's just so _hard_ at times."

"What happened to make you feel this way, Kelly? Did someone say or do something to you?" Brandon felt a sense of dread creep over him.

Kelly looked away, unable to meet his gaze. "Do you remember the guy I was with at my mom's wedding?"

Brandon slowly nodded, well recalling the guy. He had appeared far too old for Kelly, in his opinion, and Brandon did not care for the way he talked to her. Dylan had assured Brandon that Jake was an okay guy, but Brandon still didn't trust him. Now, apparently, his gut instinct about the guy had been right.

"Yeah, well, he and I were sort of dating for awhile." Kelly explained, her expression grim. "Jackie didn't like it one bit. She told me he was too old for me and that I was just going to end up getting hurt. But she was too wrapped up in her wedding and the baby to really pay all that much attention to me."

"He's a friend of Dylan's, right?"

Kelly's expression darkened. "Yeah." She whispered. "A friend of Dylan's. He tried to warn me about him."

"Dylan _warned_ you about him?" Brandon's eyebrows shot up. "He told me that he was a decent guy and not to worry."

A strange light flickered in Kelly's eyes. "You asked Dylan about him?"

Suddenly embarrassed, Brandon could only shrug. "You're my sister's best friend. I was a bit concerned. How old was he anyway?"

"Old." Kelly responded vaguely. "Too old."

"So, what happened?" Brandon pressed, suppressing a slightly overprotective feeling of anger at the man who had obviously been the source of Kelly's tears.

"He was a jerk. That's all." Kelly looked away. "He said some pretty mean things when I wouldn't sleep with him and that stirred up a bunch of old feelings of remorse. Steve's comment this afternoon was just the straw that broke the camel's back. I couldn't take it anymore.

"I hate how people look at me." She continued, "I'm so jealous of girls like Andrea and Donna. Even Brenda. The only guy she's ever been with is Dylan." Then, at Brandon's uncomfortable expression, quickly added, "Sorry. I don't mean to discuss your sister's sex life with you. It's just, well, I wish someone had warned me. Told me how much I would regret my actions someday."

"Jackie didn't say anything?"

Kelly gave a sharp laugh. "Jackie was so coked up at the time that she was barely aware of my existence, much less who I was going out with every night."

"I'm sorry." Brandon whispered, his heart going out to young blonde as tears spilled over her cheeks. He wished there was something he could do or say that would make her feel better, but he knew that Kelly's pain was something that would probably take a lifetime to get over. "No one should have to go through this kind of pain."

"I made my bed. Might as well lie in it." Kelly's words dripped with bitterness. "No matter who it is that is laying next to me."

"Kelly…" Brandon trailed off, fumbling with what to say. "You're not that person any more. You've grown and changed so much since I first met you."

"So why is it that no decent guy wants to date me?" Kelly asked, her tone sharp. "Just Steve. I'm all alone. Brenda has Dylan. Donna has David. Who do I have?"

"You've got me." Brandon offered.

"Right." Kelly rolled her eyes. "I always wanted a brother."

Brandon frowned. It took him a minute to realize she was referring to his comment at the Spring Dance that they had gone together to. He had not wanted to get involved with Kelly at that point because he knew Steve was still hung up on her, though he had always been very interested. He had just been waiting around for Steve to finally get over her. Unfortunately, it did not look like that was ever going to happen.

"No decent guys will have anything to do with me, Brandon." Kelly continued glumly. "Not with my reputation, that is. I suppose I should take it as a sign that I need be alone right now. But being alone is just so…"

"Lonely?" Brandon supplied. He could identify with that. His own love life had been practically non-existent since Emily Valentine had been admitted to the psyche ward.

"Yeah." Kelly breathed out.

"Me too."

Kelly seemed surprised by his admission. "You can't be lonely. You're Brandon Walsh. I don't think there's a girl in the entire school that isn't dying to date you."

"I'm not really looking for just any girl, Kel." Brandon brushed away a stray tear that still lingered on her cheek. "I want a girl who is bright. Beautiful. Has a wicked sense of humor." He paused, hoping she caught his meaning. "A true friend."

"Brandon…" Kelly cautioned.

Brandon was done with being cautious. Before she could utter a protest, Brandon pulled her close, gently cupping her cheek with his hand. "Kelly, I need to tell you something."

"What's that?" Kelly's reply was barely above a whisper, her eyes large with surprise.

"At the Spring Dance. I told you that I couldn't fall in love with you because I already loved you like a sister, remember?" Brandon asked, though he knew she did. She had already referenced it once during their conversation.

"I remember." Her expression clouded.

"Well, I lied."

"You lied?"

"The truth is, I fell for you a long time ago. Do you remember the first time you took Brenda to the beach after we moved here? You pulled up in my driveway looking like a glam rock reject in cowboy boots."

"A glam rock reject? You mean that horrible white outfit that I thought was so cute at the time?"

"That would be it." Brandon grinned, well recalling how Brenda had been so upset because she was afraid she wouldn't look nearly as cool as Kelly or Donna. The truth was, Brenda was the only one who looked even remotely good that day, though Brandon wasn't about to tell her that at the time.

"That outfit was so awful. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Doesn't matter what you were thinking. All I was thinking was that any girl who can still manage to look cute while wearing white cowboy boots on the beach was a girl I wanted to get to know better."

"Really?"

"Yeah. But then Steve and I became good friends and it was obvious that he wasn't quite ready to let you go yet so I thought I'd wait him out. Unfortunately, I don't know if he's ever going to get over you and I… Well, I'm tired of waiting."

"What do you mea-"

Brandon silenced her, lowering his head swiftly and pressing his lips against hers, hoping that she didn't push him into the pool for doing so. Rather than resisting, Kelly's lips were soft and welcoming, her mouth parting slightly to allow his tongue easier access. He felt her melt against him and he tightened his hold on her, suddenly never wanting to let her go.

After several long minutes with a couple of quick breaks for air interspersed, Kelly and Brandon moved apart, though Brandon wasn't sure who broke the contact first. He grinned at her, sure he probably looked like a huge dork but suddenly not caring.

"Kelly, you don't have to be lonely anymore. I have _never_ thought of you like a sister. I'm pretty sure it's illegal to have thoughts like this about a sister."

"Brandon." Kelly's cheeks colored a delicate shade of pink.

"Be with me?" Brandon asked, reaching out to take her hands in his.

"I don't know, Brandon." Kelly's brow furrowed. "I want to be with you. I've always wanted to be with you. But what about Steve? What about Andrea?"

"What about them?" Brandon continued. "The last I checked this was about you and me."

"Andrea's in love with you, Brandon. You have to know that."

Brandon let out a heavy sigh, staring off in the distance, noticing that sun had dropped considerably in the sky. It must be far later than he originally thought. "I know, Kelly. But she and I would never work out. I know that. She knows that. Its not going to happen."

Kelly shook her head slowly, pulling her hands out of his. "Andrea's a good friend of mine, Brandon. Even if you don't feel the same, I have to do the honorable thing. I've lost too many friends by fooling around with their boyfriend or the guy they had a crush on. I'm not about to loose Andrea too."

Brandon looked down, his shoulders slumping like a deflated balloon. "You sure?"

Kelly nodded.

"There's nothing that I can say that would change your mind?"

She shook her head, a wistful smile playing on her lips. "Not that I can think of. And believe me, I would tell you if I thought of something."

Brandon sucked in a deep breath then let it out, not really sure where to go from this point. "Alright, I guess." He said at last, then made a show of looking at his watch. "It's nearly four o'clock. I should probably get going. I promised my mom I'd pick up some chips and soda for the barbecue tonight. You planning on coming?"

Kelly hesitated for a long minute before at last nodding her consent. "Yeah, I guess. I suppose I should let Steve make his apology, though I don't really know if I can take it if you asks me out again."

"You really think he's going to ask you out?"

"You tell me." Kelly smiled ruefully. "You saw him at the Pit today."

"You're right." Brandon agreed, trying to for out a good natured chuckle. "So I'll see you later?"

"You'll see me later." Kelly echoed. "Bye Brandon."

"Bye, Kel." Brandon gave her a small wave before stuffing his hands in his pockets and walking towards the side gate. He could feel her eyes on him, watching him go, but he would not let himself look back. He wasn't sure he'd be able to keep walking if he did.

Then, his body acting on its own volition, Brandon found himself turning, his eyes locking briefly with Kelly's. The tears had returned, though he could tell they weren't quite the same as before. She gave him a small wave before breaking eye contact and heading towards the back door, shooting one last glance over her shoulder before she disappeared into the house and suddenly the day felt just a little bit darker.

_Author's Notes:_

_Now, you guys didn't _really_ expect me to get Brandon and Kelly together by the third chapter, did you? Especially not when I already promised there was going to be a new triangle in this story. *evil grin* So anyway… Please let me know what you guys thought. I'm going to get another chapter or two written for my other stories and then I should get the next one for this one up. So probably by the middle of next week. Until then… _

_Cheers,_

_Jianna_


	4. Four: Indecision

_Author's Notes:_

_Hey all! New chapter, and it's a long one with lots of stuff going on. And thus far I've kept to my plan to only write from Brenda & Brandon's POVs… Though I've already decided that I'm going to add Valerie into the mix as well. So anyway… Without further ado, I give you the next chapter in my lil' fic that I started on the side. As always, please remember the leave a little review. Reviews make me happy. :)_

**Chapter Four**

**.*.*.*.**

**Indecision**

Brenda paced nervously back and forth in her bedroom, knowing she was probably going to wear a deep groove into the carpet, but not caring at the moment. "I don't know what to do, Dylan," She stopped for a moment to study her boyfriend who was lounging on her bed, watching her with a cautious expression. "She was my best friend growing up. I can't just up and go to Paris the morning after she arrives. Especially considering the circumstances. It wouldn't be right. I don't care what my mom says. Valerie needs me here, not clear across the globe."

"You sure about that?" Dylan inquired, his hazel eyes tracking her every move.

"Yes." Brenda affirmed. She had never been so sure of anything else in her life. "Val needs me right now."

"What exactly are the circumstances? You weren't very clear on the phone." Dylan straightened into a sitting position before rising to his feet and crossing the room to stand in front of Brenda. Probably to force her to stop pacing.

Brenda hesitated, staring at Dylan as she debated on how much she could tell him. She knew Valerie's circumstances were extremely personal, but she also knew Dylan would not understand why she couldn't go to Paris unless he knew a bit more.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Brenda gestured towards the bed. "Sit back down." She instructed him as she sat down in the window seat. After he sat down, Brenda began, half-wondering if she should be saying anything to him at all. "Val's been going through some pretty messy family problems. I don't know too many details myself, but I do know that just over a week ago she tried to kill herself."

"Wow." Dylan's eyes had widened. "Really?"

"Yeah." Brenda nodded while picking at the seat cushions that coordinated with her blinds and bedspread perfectly, yet another example of Cindy Walsh's magic touch that turned a house into a home. "My dad is picking her up at the airport as we speak. I really want to see her, talk to her… But if I go to Paris I'm not going to be able to. I really feel that she's going to need me here."

"If that's how you feel, then you should stay." Dylan stated plainly, then added, "But you're passing up an opportunity of a lifetime. I know your folks live in Beverly Hills but they don't have the money like Bill Taylor or the Martin's have. A chance like this might not happen again any time soon."

Brenda shot him a look. "I know what I'm doing, Dylan. I realize this is probably my last year under my parents' roof and after that I really doubt they're going to be dangling trips to Paris in front of my nose to keep me away from my boyfriend. However, I also know that friendship is more important than something like this. I'm staying." She stated with enough finality that she almost believed it herself.

"So now you've just got to tell your parents." Dylan offered her a supportive smile. "I know I for one will not mind you being around this summer." He rose from the bed and walked over to where she sat. Dropping down onto his knees so he could be at eye-level with her, he dangled his arms over her shoulders, pulling her close so that their heads were touching.

"I didn't think you would." A smile played across Brenda's lips as they brought their mouths together, meeting in the middle for a short, yet very tender kiss. "I love you Dylan Michael McKay."

"I love you too, Brenda…" Dylan trailed off, his brow furrowing. "Wait a minute. I don't think I know your middle name."

"Oh you don't, do you?" Brenda teased with a giggle.

"No, I don't think I do." Dylan grinned back, planting a quick kiss on her nose. "What is it?"

"Now that would be telling." Brenda sprang to her feet. "Come on, let's go downstairs. I'm sure my mom needs some help since Brandon hasn't bothered to show up yet."

"I thought I heard his car pull up a few minutes ago."

"Maybe." Brenda shrugged. "Let's go see." She grabbed onto his hand and led him out of her bedroom, firmly shutting the door behind her. She knew the next time she slept in there the bed would have been moved over to make room for Valerie. As horrible as she felt for her long-time friend, she was also extremely excited about seeing her again. It had been nearly five years, and though they stayed close through letters and the occasional phone call, Brenda knew nothing could quite compare to seeing Valerie face-to-face.

"Oh there you!" Cindy greeted Brenda and Dylan in the hallway. "I was just coming up to get you. Your brother's back and the gang has started to arrive. I thought you'd like to know."

"We were on our way down to see if you needed any help." Brenda offered, though she realized her offer was probably a little late as everyone had already started to show up.

"Oh, Kelly was here a little while ago and she's been helping me in the kitchen." Cindy brushed her off and Brenda felt a small twang of jealousy. "But I'm sure Brandon can use some help with the barbecue, Dylan. Steve offered but…" Cindy trailed off, an amused expression on her face.

"Yeah. I wouldn't trust Steve with fire either." Dylan chuckled, leading the way down the stairs with Brenda following directly behind him.

"Hey Brenda!" Kelly greeted her as she entered the kitchen. Kelly was dressed in a cute yet still sexy black tank top and a pair of cutoff shorts that showed off her shapely legs. Again, Brenda had to stifle a surge of jealousy.

"Hey Kel." Brenda returned, pulling out a bar stool and taking a seat. "How you doing? It feels like I haven't seen you in weeks. How are things with Jake?"

Kelly's expression clouded. "Well, to answer your first question, I'm doing alright, I suppose. I'm going to miss you and Donna while you're in Paris, but I'm happy I decided to stay here. Now, as far as things with Jake… They're over."

"Over?" Brenda widened her eyes with surprise. The last time she had talked to Kelly, her blonde friend had still been completely smitten with the older man. They had even joked about going on a double date. "Already?"

Kelly shot her a glare, though she didn't seem all that upset. "Yeah. Things just didn't work out. I know he's not _that_ much older than me, but I'm still only a kid. Maybe if we had met three or four years from now things would have been different, but right now, I'm not ready for the sort of relationship that he wants."

"He wanted to sleep with you?"

Kelly nodded slowly. "Yeah. And he wasn't taking no for an answer." The blonde's lips twisted together remorsefully.

"Did he hurt you?" Brenda inquired, her heart plummeting. She didn't know if she could deal with two of her friends going through a sexual assault at the same time.

"No." She shook her head. "Not like you think. But he did say some pretty cruel things. Told me I was just a child and a tease."

"He said that?"

"Uh huh." Kelly murmured, then squared her shoulders and jutted her jaw out proudly. "But I've decided I'm not going to let Jake bum me out any longer. I'm young and unattached. This is my summer and even though none of my friends are going to be around, I'm determined to not spend the entire summer moping about. I'm going to get out there and have fun."

"And hopefully met some cute boys." Brenda teased.

"Yeah." Kelly grinned good-naturedly. "Who knows who I'll hook up with?"

"Just as long as it's not Dylan." Brenda quipped, though she still couldn't help but be a little paranoid. She knew Kelly had once had a tremendous crush on Dylan and she always suspected Dylan had once had a thing for her blonde friend as well. Selfish as it sounded, she was happy she wasn't going to be in Paris for the summer if only to keep Dylan and Kelly from hooking up behind her back.

"Don't worry, Bren." Kelly seemed to pick up on her friend's fears. "I would never do that to you. You're my best friend and Dylan is your boyfriend. You two really love each other and even if I don't always think you think too clearly when it comes to him, I know you guys have what it takes to last."

"You really think so?" Brenda inquired, glancing out the sliding glass door to where she see Brandon and Dylan cooking, or rather burning, the hamburgers.

"Yeah, I really do." Kelly agreed. "Now come on. The salad is done and I think between Brandon, Steve, and Dylan we're going to have meteorites for dinner if we're not careful. Someone who knows how to cook has to be out there, right?"

"In a minute." Brenda caught Kelly's arm, holding her back, her expression somber. "I need to talk to you."

"Sure, what's up?" Kelly asked her, her expression puzzled.

"I'm not going to Pairs."

"What?!" Kelly exclaimed. "Why? What happened? Is this because of Dylan? Bren, you can't pass up a chance like this. I've been to Paris so many times, so it's not the same for me, but you-"

"Slow down, Kelly." Brenda cut her off with a smile. "It's not over Dylan, though I wasn't looking forward to missing him so much. It's over my friend Valerie."

"Valerie?"

"She and I were best friends growing up in Minnesota." Brenda went on to explain. "Her family moved away a couple years before we moved here, but we've always stayed in touch. At least as much as possible."

"So why are you staying in California over her? I'm confused, Brenda."

Brenda began to gnaw on her lower lip anxiously. She knew telling Dylan was one thing. He would keep Valerie's secret safe, but she was unsure about telling Kelly. Yet at the same time, Brenda needed to unload on someone and Kelly had always been a listening ear. Plus, Brenda had a hunch Kelly and Valerie would really hit it off, if given the chance.

"About a week and a half ago she, um, well, she did something pretty stupid and her parents are sending her out here to live with my family and I for awhile."

"Oh really? Does Brandon know?"

"I don't think so. Unless my mom told him since he got home." Brenda continued, a little amused that the first question Kelly had asked was if Brandon had known. "So anyway, she's going to be here and I would feel funny leaving her. Especially when I know she needs me so much."

Kelly studied her thoughtfully for a long minute and Brenda could tell her friend could sense there was more to the story. Thankfully, she had the tact not to ask. "Alright, Brenda. I know you know what you're doing. Have you told your parents yet?"

"No." Brenda smiled ruefully. "I was kinda thinking I might just go live with Dylan this summer so I could avoid that confrontation."

"Ha, ha." Kelly chuckled, realizing that Brenda was only playing around. "Well, I'm here for you if you need me. Or for your friend Valerie. Whatever she's going through right now, she's lucky to have a friend like you. I know I am."

Brenda smiled and gave Kelly a quick hug. "Thanks Kel. I knew I could count on you. Now, lets get outside. Brandon has been staring at us for the past ten minutes and I think our burgers are completely burnt."

"That's alright, I was thinking of going vegetarian anyway." Kelly laughed, linking her arm through Brenda's as they made their way out the door and into the backyard.

The entire gang had already assembled in the back yard, Brandon, Dylan and Steve hovering over the barbecue while David and Donna sat at one of the tables, holding hands, their heads leaning close together. Andrea was relaxing in one of the lounge chairs while talking to Cindy, obviously discussing her plans for the summer.

"Well, it looks like everyone is here." Brandon announced as they pass through the doorway, his eyes lingering on Kelly for a half a moment longer than necessary and Brenda made a mental note to quiz Brandon over the obvious tension between he and her best friend later. "Time to dig in!"

Brenda chuckled as she eyed the plate of hamburger patties suspiciously. "Maybe we ought to order a pizza. Are you sure those are edible?"

"Of course they're edible!" Dylan came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing a quick kiss against her neck. "What good is some barbecue if it doesn't have a little fire on it?"

Kelly scrunched up her nose. "I think I may just have some salad." She announced. "As of today I think I am officially cutting out all red meat."

"Aw, c'mon, Kelly," Brandon groaned, holding up a hamburger patty that was cooked to perfection without any blackened and burnt parts. "I made this one for you."

"I see. The only one that _isn't_ burnt." Andrea had approached the group, a knowing smile quirking up her lips. "I see where I stand."

"Well, chief, what did you expect? The girl's threatening to go vegetarian on us. She needs to be reminded of just how good a hamburger can be."

"If I needed to be reminded of how great a hamburger is, I'd just go to the Peach Pit and eat a Megaburger." Kelly teased. "Try as you might, Brandon Walsh, you can't top one of Willie's patties. But, I suppose I can hold off on going vegetarian one more day."

She grinned, accepting the plate from Brandon, his fingers brushed against the back of her hand and his eyes locking with Kelly's for a brief moment. Brenda doubted anyone else had noticed, but Brenda had always been able to tell when her brother began to fall for someone, usually before even he had realized himself.

Everyone began to crowd around the table, grabbing their burgers, despite being burnt, and loading up on the condiments. The banter was playful and everyone was relaxing and having a good time, or at least nearly everyone. Brenda frowned, noticing that Donna was hanging back from the group, her eyes lingering on David who seemed to be behaving excessively cheerful.

"Hey Don. What's wrong?" Brenda pulled up a chair beside her friend, setting her plate of food and offering some to her far slimmer friend. "Want something to eat?"

"I'm not hungry." Donna murmured softly. "Not anymore that is."

"What's wrong, sweetie? What happened?" Brenda pressed, frowning. "Is it your parents?"

Donna shook her head. "It's David."

"David?" Brenda echoed, wondering what on earth David could have done to upset Donna like this. They were so happy together – the perfect couple. Brenda doubted the two of them ever disagreed on anything, or even if they did, Donna immediately apologized for whatever it was, even if she wasn't the one in the wrong.

"We broke up."

"You broke up?" Brenda could not keep the shock from her face. "Wh-what do you mean, you broke up?"

"He thinks we should see other people while I'm in Paris." Donna's tears were falling freely down her cheeks now. "He says he doesn't want to tie me down."

"Tie you down?" Brenda suspected it was quite the opposite, but she wasn't about to voice her opinion aloud. Especially not with Donna already so clearly upset.

Donna nodded, wiping at the tears with a napkin that had been on the table. "I don't want to see other people, Brenda. I love David."

"I know you do." Brenda consoled her, wrapping her arm around Donna's thin shoulders and protectively pulling her close while she shot daggers with her eyes in David's direction. "And I'm sure he loves you too, Donna."

"Then why would he want to see other people?" Donna whimpered, staring beseechingly at Brenda.

"I don't know." Brenda admitted, her mind working anxiously. Donna was going to be a complete mess while in Paris. If David had wanted to break up with her, he should have had the common decency to wait until after the trip to do so.

"What's going on here?" Kelly had brought her plate of food over and took a seat next to Donna, her face lined with worry. "Why are you crying, Donna?"

"David told her that he wanted to see other people." Brenda informed Kelly, her tone terse, though she was not irritated with Kelly, just with the situation itself. "Can you believe that?"

Kelly frowned, glaring in her step-brother's direction. "Actually, I can." She stated darkly. "And I think I know why." She paused for a moment, giving Donna's hand a quick squeeze. "I'll be right back, Donna."

Kelly jumped to her feet and crossed the yard to where David was joking around with Steve, his face showing absolutely no remorse that he had dumped his girlfriend who, in Brenda's opinion, was way out of his league. If anyone should have been doing the breaking up with, it should have been Donna, not David.

"You're such a selfish jerk, David!" Kelly exclaimed loud enough for Brenda and Donna to both here from where they sat. "I can't believe you! How could you do this to her?"

David said something lowly, his face flushed with what Brenda hoped was guilt, though she suspected was in truth just embarrassment.

Kelly scowled at him, continuing to lecture him, though she had lowered her voice. Brenda did not need to hear in order for her to be able to tell that Kelly was really letting him have it, though.

"She shouldn't be yelling at him like that." Donna sniffled, watching the exchange between her best friend and ex-boyfriend nervously.

"Someone needs to." Brenda grumbled, propping her elbows up on the table, silently cheering Kelly on.

"It should be me." Donna murmured softly as she rose to her feet. She began to cross the yard, Brenda hesitating only for a split second before she followed the blonde.

"Oh great." David stated in exasperation as Brenda and Donna approached. "Are you all going to yell at me now?"

"No one is yelling, David." Kelly stated coldly, giving him the evil eye. "At least not anymore."

"Kelly, let me handle this, okay?" Donna gave Kelly an appreciative smile before turning her full attention to David. "Can we talk?"

David stared at her a bit suspiciously as if debating whether or not it was safe to do so. "You going to yell?"

"Of course not." Donna shook her head. "Come on." She took his hand and began to lead him away from the party, leaving Kelly and Brenda watching them anxiously.

"Such a jerk." Kelly was frowning as she watched them go. "You know what this is about, don't you?"

"No. What's it about? I thought they were happy." Brenda mused, flicking her long raven locks over her shoulders. Her eyes found Dylan, who was eating what had to be his third burger, Brandon sitting beside him obviously discussing something in earnest. Dylan caught her eye and flashed her a smile, a warm glow spreading through Brenda as she returned it.

"Sex." Kelly had continued. "He wants it and Donna doesn't."

"Really?"

Kelly nodded. "I caught him in my bedroom the other day going through my drawers looking for a condom. I knew Donna wasn't planning on sleeping with him or anyone else for that matter any time in the near future so I assumed the worst and accused him of cheating on Donna."

"Really? You think David would cheat on Donna?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I know that before he met my mother, Mel had cheated on David's mother quite a few times. I'm not saying the cheating gene is hereditary, but it is a learned behavior and if David saw his father doing it all the time behind his mother's back… I didn't think it was a complete impossibility."

"But he wasn't cheating on her, right?"

"No." Kelly pursed her lips together in a hard line. "The condom was for Donna. He was planning some big romantic dinner for her before she left for Paris and had rented a hotel room for them. But obviously Donna shot him down."

"So he broke up with her?"

"The kid really wants to get laid." Kelly let out a weary sigh. "He seems to think he's the last virgin on earth or something. I tried to tell him that it's not something to be taken lightly, but he won't listen to me."

"He's not thinking. At least not with his head anyway." Brenda commented. "I feel so bad for Donna. It's cruel to do this to her."

"I know. Especially since she's leaving for Paris tomorrow." Kelly's eyes widened suddenly. "Oh my goodness. You're not going anymore! Poor Donna is going to be a complete mess!"

Brenda bit down on her lower lip, a moment of indecision hitting her. She knew she needed to be in Beverly Hills for Valerie, but Donna needed her as well. Knowing Felice Martin, there was absolutely no way she would let Donna bail out on the trip to Paris, at least not last minute like this. Brenda hoped her parents were far more understanding.

"Maybe you ought to go, Brenda." Kelly had turned to face Brenda. "I mean, your mom and dad will be here for Valerie, as well as Brandon, right? Donna's going to be all alone…"

Brenda hesitated, wishing that somehow she could be in both places at once. "What about you? Maybe you can take the ticket back…"

"I can't." Kelly shook her head. "Once Jackie found out I was sticking around for the summer she and Mel planned this honeymoon cruise to the Bahamas. They're going to be gone for two weeks in the middle of the summer."

"Then I guess-" Brenda began but was cut off as Jim and Cindy appeared on the porch, a girl that she barely recognized as Valerie Malone standing between them.

"Hey everyone." Cindy called for everyone's attention. "I'd like you guys to meet a very dear friend of ours, Valerie Malone. She's going to be living with us for a little while and I know you will make her feel very welcome."

"Valerie." Brenda gasped her friend's name, staring at the girl who had once been her closest friend but looked like a complete stranger to her now. Valerie felt Brenda's eyes on her and met her gaze evenly, all the pain and raw emotion reading plain on her face.

"The poor girl." Kelly breathed out, obviously seeing the pain there as well. "Oh Brenda. What are you going to do?"

_Author's Notes:_

_Well, there you go. Like I said, a lot happening. Sort of. The next chapter will probably not be coming until next week but when it does, it will be from Valerie's POV. Anyway, if you enjoyed (or even if you didn't…) please take the time to leave a review. You don't know how much it means to me to hear feedback._

_Thanks!_

_Jianna_


	5. Five: People are Strange

_Author's Notes:_

_Hey guys! I was supposed to be updating _The More Things Change_ but since Court practically begged me for a new chapter of Summer Lovin' (and since I'm feeling much more inspired with this story right now anyway…) I'm posting it first. It's a shorter chapter but I promise I'll post another ASAP. I'm working on it right now. Anyway… This chapter throws Valerie into the mix but I'm going to try and really hard to keep my POV characters for this story limited to Brandon, Brenda, and Valerie. I'll also attempt to keep to a specific order – at least as much as the story permits. _

_Anyway… I'll stop talking and let you guys read. Enjoy! _

**Chapter Five**

**.*.*.*.**

**People are Strange (When You're a Stranger)**

Valerie felt like she was in a haze as she drifted alongside Brenda, her former best friend introducing her to all of her new friends. Oblivious as she was to the conversations flowing around her, she couldn't help but agree with some of Brenda's earliest opinions of her 'gang' – spoiled little rich kids who didn't realize how great they had it. Unfortunately, those opinions could now probably be applied towards Brenda and Brandon as well. They had assimilated to the Beverly Hills culture perfectly.

"And this is David Silver." Brenda had half-dragged Valerie towards a young man sitting on a planter box all by himself, watching one of the blondes carefully. Valerie couldn't remember if it was Donna or Kelly. "Don't mind him, though. He's an _ass_."

David rolled his eyes as he stuck out his hand to shake Val's. "Hey there." He greeted her, his smile genuine. "What your old friend here means to say is, I'm probably not the best of company right now. My girlfriend and I just broke up."

Valerie nodded, attempting to care. Despite Brenda's words otherwise, David seemed like a decent guy. "Sorry." She mumbled.

"Don't feel sorry for him." Brenda eyed David critically. "He's the one who dumped his girlfriend. His girlfriend who leaves for Paris _tomorrow_."

"He's basically ruined Donna's entire trip." The blonde who was obviously _not_ Donna had approached them, her arms folded against her chest as she eyed David dangerously. "Pretty poor timing if you ask me."

"Lay off, Kel." David glared right back at her. "You're the one who told me I should break up with her."

"What?" Brenda exclaimed, her eyes widening as she stared at the girl Valerie now recalled as Kelly Taylor – a girl who made frequent appearances in Brenda's letters. "You _told_ David to break up with Donna?"

Kelly's face flushed guiltily and if Valerie had really cared, she would have found this interesting. As it was, she could barely pay attention. All she wanted to do was go back inside and escape to Brenda's room where she could curl up in a little ball in the cot Jim and Cindy had brought out for her to sleep on until Brenda left for Paris.

"I didn't mean it like that, David. All I said was that if you were so intent on finding someplace to stick it, you were going to have to look somewhere other than Donna. And," Kelly added, her tone expressing her displeasure with David's actions. "I said if you ever cheated on Donna, I would kill you myself."

Valerie wanted roll her eyes, but knew that would be too obvious. Something about Kelly rubbed her the wrong way, and it wasn't just because she seemed to be picking on David. "Look, guys, this is really interesting and all," Valerie began, trying to keep the sarcasm from her voice, "But I'm pretty beat. I think I'm going to head on inside."

Brenda reached out and grabbed her arm. "Wait, Val. I'm sorry. This is probably all so silly to you. Let's leave David alone. Come on, Kelly. Let's go see what Brandon and Dylan are up to."

Valerie bit down on her lip to keep from voicing her true opinion. She would have much preferred David's sulking company to Brenda's false cheerfulness or Kelly's over-the-top faux friendliness at the moment. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so rude. I'm just tired."

"That's completely understandable." Kelly reassured her and Valerie could tell from the look in Kelly's eyes that somehow this blonde knew more of the true story as to why Valerie was in Beverly Hills than Valerie would have liked. Kelly, as if realizing that she had been found out, quickly added, "I always get really bad jet lag."

"Uh huh." Valerie nodded, though only because she knew she was supposed to. "Well, whatever. I'm tired. I'm going to go inside."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Brenda offered and Valerie could tell from Brenda's expression that her friend was truly concerned for her. Though the sentiment was touching, it irritated Valerie at the same time. She knew what she had attempted was an act of pure selfishness (despite the shrink at the hospital telling her it was just a 'cry for help'), and she did not want to be a further burden to anyone around her.

"No." Valerie stated flatly. "I need to get some rest. Seriously."

Brenda began to gnaw on her lower lip, a habit the girl had had since she was little. Valerie knew Brenda always chewed her lip when she was nervous about something. Obviously, her being here made Brenda nervous, and for some reason, that made Valerie almost happy.

"Hey Brenda!" Dylan called from across the yard where he and Brandon were playing basketball. "Come be on my team. Steve and your brother think they can take us."

Brenda hesitated, glancing over at Valerie then called back, "Maybe later. I'm going to walk Val to the room."

"We need a fourth, though!" The blonde guy Valerie remembered as Steve complained loudly.

"I'll play." Kelly volunteered. Before heading after the guys, though, she turned back to Valerie and gave her a small smile. "It was really nice meeting you, Valerie. I'm sure I'll see you around more this summer."

"She can play with those nails?" Valerie wondered aloud after Kelly had flounced off, her golden blonde ponytail bobbing wildly behind her. "Unbelievable."

"Kelly is pretty unbelievable." Brenda agreed, though Valerie could tell from the brunette's tone that Brenda meant it in a good way. "Now come on. I'll show you my room."

"That's okay. Cindy took me up when we got here." Valerie attempted to brush her off, though knowing Brenda's tenacity, Brenda would accompany her anyway.

"Yeah, but I _want_ to show you my room." Brenda grinned mischievously, reminding Valerie sharply of the girl Brenda had once been before she moved to Beverly Hills. "I'm so excited about getting to spend some time with you!"

"Uh, aren't you leaving for Paris tomorrow, Brenda?" Valerie bluntly pointed out. She wasn't too sure she wanted to spend time with Brenda. Brenda knew her too well, too deep. Besides, Brenda was the only person she had actually told the real reason she had done what she had done to. In order to get released from the psyche ward she had made up some mumbo jumbo she was sure they would eat up, but it was as far from the truth as Valerie could make it while still sounding convincing. As far as the psychiatrists back in Buffalo knew, Valerie had been attacked and raped by a classmate, not her own father.

"Change of plans." Brenda told her simply, offering her a supportive smile that made Valerie want to puke. "When Mom told me you were going to be here, I knew I needed to be here for you. Nothing is more important to me than my friendship with you."

"Nothing?" Valerie arched her eyebrow quizzically.

"Nothing." Brenda affirmed, squeezing Valerie's hand tight. "I know everything must be pretty weird for you right now and you probably think all my friends are aliens from a different planet or something. I know I sure did when I first met them, but once you get to know them, you'll realize they're normal people just like you and me."

"You mean they're not all avocado heads?" Valerie quipped.

Brenda shook her head, chuckling at the term the two had coined what felt like a lifetime ago when a girl from Southern California had moved to Minnesota and had the misfortune of ending up in their class. She had been a complete snob and had not gotten along well with any of the kids in their class, of course no one had exactly made her feel welcome.

"You know," Valerie continued as she followed the darker-haired young woman inside. "You were scaring me for a minute out there."

"How so?" Brenda seemed truly puzzled.

"I was starting to think you were some sort of pod person or something." Valerie admitted truthfully. She had never been one to hide how she was really feeling. "You and Brandon both – you act just like all these people. I barely know you anymore."

"Really?" Brenda was perplexed, genuinely worried. "I don't mean to. You don't think I've become shallow and self-absorbed, do you?"

"Those weren't exactly the words I was thinking." Valerie shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable with having this conversation with Brenda. Maybe it wasn't Brenda and Brandon who had changed. Maybe it was her. "You're just different. But then again, it could be me."

"It has been several years." Brenda agreed. "But that doesn't matter. What matters is that you're here now and I'm here for you – no matter what."

Valerie gave her a weak smile. "Thanks, Bren. I really appreciate that. But you don't have to forget Paris for my sake. I'll be okay. I promise."

"No." Brenda told her flatly. "I've already made up my mind and I am going to tell Jim and Cindy-"

"You haven't told your parents yet?" Valerie's eyes widened. "Come on, Brenda, they're not going to let you flake on a trip like this. Not after they forked out all that money for it."

"It wasn't that much. Kelly's mom sold them the tickets really cheap since Kelly was the original flake." Brenda explained. "I think my parents will be more upset about me being around Dylan for the summer than the money, though. That was the entire reason they bought me the trip anyway – to get me away from him."

"Why?" Valerie furrowed her brow. "He seems like a nice enough boy. Better than the guys you were crushing on in Minnesota."

Brenda glared at her. "Jim and Cindy don't know about most of them. But it's not really Dylan they have the problem with. Its his father. Dad really doesn't care for Jack McKay one little bit and has made it very clear to me that he thinks it is dangerous for me to be around him too much. Plus, I don't think Jim was too pleased when he found out we were doing the deed."

"Yeah. I can't imagine Jim would be too cool with that." Valerie grinned, well recalling the mortified letter Brenda had sent her shortly after Cindy's little discovery in the trash. Jim was the sort of father who would like to imagine his daughter was a virgin until her wedding day. Probably after that too, for that matter. Though she was sure he'd eventually want grandchildren.

Brenda smiled back. "He's not. But I think he and Mom both have sort of adjusted to their little girl not being a virgin any longer. But I know I love Dylan. He's the only man I can imagine myself ever being with."

"You say that now, little girl, but wait until you're in college." Valerie grinned suggestively. "A much, much bigger pond."

"I don't know, Val. There may be other fish in the see, but Dylan is the only one for me." Brenda then cracked up, realizing how cheesy she sounded. "Sorry. Now come on, let's head upstairs. We've got to figure out sleeping arrangements since I'm sure you don't want to spend the next several months on a cot."

"I can always sleep in Brandon's bed?" Valerie suggested playfully.

"Ha, ha. No." Brenda shot down that idea quickly. "But I think I might have an idea for tonight."

"What?" Valerie eyed her suspiciously. Brenda had that look on her face that Valerie had long ago become accustomed to.

"Don't look at me like that." Brenda giggled. "I was just thinking that tonight would be the perfect night for a slumber party. You can get some rest now but then later, after all the boys have gone home, you, me, Kelly, Donna, and Andrea can all hang out and you can get to know them. Plus, I'm sure Donna could use some cheering up before Paris anyhow."

Valerie frowned. "Don't you think that's a bit, oh, I don't know, juvenile?"

Brenda rolled her eyes. "You sound like Kelly. It will be fun. I swear. A few months after we first moved here I had a slumber party and it was a total blast. The girls have been bugging me to throw another one for months now and I think tonight is the perfect opportunity."

Seeing Brenda's obvious excitement, Valerie chose to humor her friend. "Alright. Sounds like fun. I guess."

"You'll have a blast. I promise." Brenda reassured her as she clamped back down on her hand and began to drag her up to the room she would be sharing with Brenda for God only knew how long. If it were up to Val, it would be for the rest of her life.

_Author's Notes:_

_Sorry it was short, guys. But the next part is a Brandon chapter and will introduce a little bit of the triangle that is going to come into play this summer. Now I'm off to write. So read and review and maybe I'll get it posted today… _

_Cheers,_

_Jianna_


	6. Six: Love & Basketball

_Author's Notes:_

_Well, this was supposed to be up a couple of hours ago but I was really dissatisfied with the final scene so I had to re-write it about four times. Hopefully it turned out alright, though. It's nearly one am and I don't think I could handle another re-write… _

**Chapter Six**

**.*.*.*.**

**Love & Basketball**

_Damn._ Brandon thought to himself as he watched as Kelly slowly jogged over towards the driveway, her gorgeous blonde hair secured back in a ponytail, swaying back and forth behind her head as she ran. Even in cutoffs and a simple tank top she looked absolutely exquisite and Brandon was having a hard time keeping his expression neutral. He knew he was going to have an even more difficult time playing against her.

"Well, this is interesting." Dylan had come up alongside Brandon, holding the basketball against his stomach, his arms hanging over. "So, who's going to guard Kel? You or Steve?" His lips turned up in a knowing smile.

"I'm not sure I know what you mean, Dylan." Brandon turned to study the man whom he had considered his best friend for the past two years. "I suppose it doesn't really matter."

"Uh huh. Right." Dylan chuckled. "Brandon, I think I know you well enough by now to know when you're interested in someone. And I'd say right now, you are definitely interested in Kelly Taylor. Not that I really blame you, bro. I had a crush on her back in junior high when she was Ms. Popularity and I was just the brooding loser who didn't like to talk to anyone. She wouldn't give me the time of day back then."

"You don't know what you're talking about Dylan. She's Steve's girl." Brandon protested, hoping that his other friend was still preoccupied with Andrea on the other side of the drive.

"She hasn't been Steve's girl for years now." Dylan's words were encouraging, but Brandon knew that's not how Steve saw it.

"Just drop it, Dylan. There's nothing between Kelly and I. It would be too complicated. She's my sister's best friend."

"So? I'm dating your sister. I really don't see the difference."

"That's not the point." Brandon frowned, frustrated that he had allowed himself to get into this conversation – especially when both Kelly and Steve were practically within earshot. "I'm not discussing this right now, Dylan. I don't know if I _ever_ want to discuss it."

"Whatever." Dylan seemed to understand, though, especially when he noticed Steve heading their way, a smug smirk playing across his lips.

"This game is going to be a piece of cake, Walsh. I'll cover Kelly. You get Dylwyk here. Let's see if we can break the triple digits." He let out an overly confident chuckle.

Brandon stared at his friend incredulously, shaking his head slowly. "This is just a pickup game. For fun, Steve." Brandon told him a bit colder than he had intended. "Besides, have you ever seen Kelly play?"

One night after getting off from work, he had happened across his sister, Kelly and Donna goofing around, playing Horse or something. Kelly wasn't much of a dribbler, but give her the ball and she could make the shot from just about anywhere on the court.

"Basketballs are not the balls Kelly likes to play with." Steve sniggered, earning himself a dark scowl from both Dylan and Brandon.

"You're such a jerk, Steve." Brandon stated, making his irritation clear. "You talk such crap about Kelly but the only thing she did wrong by you was break up with you. I thought this barbecue was all about apologizing to Kelly."

"And here I thought it was a sendoff for Brenda who isn't really leaving anyway." Dylan shook his head, chuckling.

"What?" Brandon stared at Dylan. "What do you mean? Brenda's not going to Paris?"

"Oh, I thought she would have told you." Dylan shrugged, though clearly not nearly as upset over this as Brandon was. "I guess since Valerie's going to be here Brenda's decided she wants to stick around town."

Brandon furrowed his brow thoughtfully. Something behind Dylan's eyes told Brandon there was more to the story than McKay was saying at the moment, but he obviously did not want to delve into details in front of Steve. Brandon would have to talk to Brenda later – if he got the chance.

"Hey guys." Kelly approached the guys, a beaming smile on her face. "So, whose team am I on?"

"Mine." Dylan and Steve said at the same moment.

Kelly arched an eyebrow. "What is this? Three on one? I know Brandon's good, but I didn't realize he was _that_ good."

"I'm not." Brandon chuckled uncomfortably, wishing he could deck Steve at that moment. "These two clowns think they're being funny."

"So… Whose team am I really on?" Kelly inquired hesitantly.

"You're on mine, Kel." Dylan tossed her the ball, which she caught expertly. "Let's you and I teach these jokers how the game is really played."

Kelly smiled a special smile at Dylan that sent an unwelcome course of jealousy through Brandon. "Alright. I'll guard Brandon."

"What? You don't think you can keep up with me?" Steve mocked.

Kelly shot Steve a mocking smile. "Not at all. I just know you like to score and we all _know_ that you're never going to score with me again."

"Ouch." Dylan grinned at Kelly, giving her a high five. "Come on, Kel, let's take these guys out."

Kelly and Dylan started with the ball, and Kelly promptly positioned herself at a spot that Brandon knew Steve didn't think she could score from. However, Brandon knew from watching her closely playing with Brenda and Donna that it was one of her favorite places to shoot from.

Dylan quickly ducked around Steve, dribbling the ball towards the net. He made to shoot, then quickly faked and shot a hard pass towards Kelly. Unbelievably, Kelly was ready, snapping the ball up and shooting it towards the hoop less than a split second later.

Brandon attempted to react to block her, but instead found he was staring at Kelly's laughing face as she exclaimed, "That's two oh."

"Come on, Brandon! You should have blocked that!" Steve complained loudly, his eyes narrowing into a glare. "You have got to do better."

Steve grabbed the ball and went to the top of the court to take it out. Brandon dropped low in the key, Kelly hovering closely as Dylan went up to challenge Steve for the ball. Brandon could hear some minor trash-talking taking place, but he could barely focus. His whole psyche was thrown off by Kelly's proximity.

Steve dribbled the ball halfway down the court as if to shoot a layup, then lazily passed Brandon the ball, obviously expecting Kelly not to react quickly enough to intercept. Kelly, however, was faster than Steve and stepped out in front of the pass, catching the ball and sending it straight back to Dylan who brought it to the top of the key before turning and shooting, the ball bouncing off the rim and into Brandon's waiting hands.

"Catch me if you can." He grinned at Kelly as he ducked around it and brought the ball out. Kelly was hot on his heals and if he wasn't careful he knew she'd manage to the get the ball from him. However, he knew her weaknesses and was determined to exploit them – if only a little bit.

Brandon brought the ball down alongside the house, his back to the hoop. Kelly hovered next to him, making a move for the ball a couple of times, but not managing to actually steal it. Seeing Steve hopelessly covered by Dylan, Brandon knew he it was now or never for the shot. He spun quickly, throwing the ball up in the air as he collided against Kelly, the blonde bouncing off him and landing squarely on the ground.

He had made the shot – nothing but net – and faintly in the distance he heard Steve celebrating, but Brandon was paying no attention, his focus entirely on the blonde sitting on the pavement, a grin on her face. "You alright, Kel?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Kelly nodded, accepting his offered hand. Brandon quickly assisted Kelly to her feet and she absent-mindedly dusted herself off. "That was a nice shot."

"Thanks." Brandon shrugged. "So was yours."

Kelly grinned back. "Surprised?"

"No, not really." Brandon admitted honestly, walking her up to the top of the court while they waited for Dylan and Steve to arguing over whose ball it was, even though Brandon knew it was Dylan & Kelly's. "I saw you playing with Brenda and Donna a few months ago."

"I had forgotten about that." Kelly's cheeks tinged a delicate shade of pink. "We sometimes play, though normally Donna sits out. Your sister is a pretty decent shot."

"Yeah, so are you." Brandon complimented. "How'd you get so good?"

"Didn't you know, Bran?" Dylan answered for her, coming up behind them and draping his arm casually over Kelly's shoulders. "Kelly was quite the queen of the court back in elementary. I believe the game was Horse, wasn't it, Kelly?"

"Bet you never got past H-O, now didja, Kelly?" Steve remarked, eyeing Dylan's arm on Kelly irritably.

Kelly shrugged out from underneath Dylan's arm, glaring at Steve angrily. "What is your problem, Steve? You just don't know when to quit, do you? But I do. Sorry guys. I'm not going to play with this big ape any longer." She spun on her heel and headed towards the house.

"You're an ass, Steve." Brandon scowled at his friend, questioning why he was friends with this guy in the first place. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Steve, his expression showing remorse for his ill-timed quip, looked away, commenting softly, "I don't know, Brandon. I love that girl so much but when I see her with other guys, especially you two, I get so angry-"

"Wait a minute." Dylan cut him off, frowning. "Don't include me in this, Steve. There's never been anything between Kelly and me."

"Right. You're just the guy who told her not to go out with me freshman year." Steve rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, because I thought you were a jerk and would treat her bad. Turns out I was wrong. According to Kel, you were pretty sweet to her while you two were dating. Who knew you were going to turn out to be such an awful ex-boyfriend?"

"I-" Steve began, but Dylan quickly cut him off again.

"Don't even try and explain yourself, Steve. I hear you telling Brandon all this crap about being so in love with Kelly yet I've also heard what you tell all your jock friends about her in the locker room. 'Kelly's such a great _first_ date.' 'She's a terrific lay.' 'You wanna get lucky, here's Kelly's number.' You want to know what it seems like to me?" Dylan continued without giving Steve a chance to respond. "Seems like you only want Kelly when someone else shows interest in her.

"Now Brandon here, he's a decent guy and I _know_ he's attracted to Kelly but because of his friendship with you, he's always backed off. What I'm saying to you, Steve, is that maybe it's _you_ who needs to back off now. Kelly broke up with you two years ago. It's time to get over it." Dylan finished, giving Steve a slight push in the chest before he turned and headed back towards the rest of the party.

Brandon stared at Steve, slowly beginning to put the pieces together. "You're the one who spread all the rumors about Kelly, aren't you?" He asked softly, trying to keep his tone non-judgmental.

Steve met Brandon's gaze, his blue eyes bright with unshed tears. "She broke my heart, Bran."

"That's not an excuse, Steve." Brandon shook his head, well recalling how devastated Kelly still was over her soiled reputation. "It was wrong and you know it."

"I know it was wrong. But she's the one who made the rumors true. No one told her to bed half the male population of West Beverly."

"I seriously doubt she slept with half the guys at school, Steve." Brandon scowled. "And even if she had, who are you to judge? Who is anyone to? You know you owe Kelly an apology, and not just for your behavior this afternoon and for at the Pit. You need to tell her it was you that said all those horrible things about her."

"I can't do that, Brandon."

"Maybe you can't. But you've got to try." Brandon encouraged Steve.

"You just want me to tell her what I've done so she'll never take me back and you can have her all to yourself."

"Steve, you blew that opportunity a long time ago." Brandon shook his head, dismayed by Steve's complete cluelessness. "But I'm not fighting you for her. Despite whatever you think."

"I wish I could believe you, Brandon. But I've seen the way she looks at you. And the way you look at her." A couple of Steve's tears had actually managed to escape and he wiped them away before he thought Brandon had noticed. "Dylan's probably right. I need to get over her. Let her move on."

"Probably right?" Brandon couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Steve, there are more women at West Beverly than male. You've been so hung up on Kelly for so long that you've missed out on two of your prime dating years."

"I have, haven't I?" Steve smirked a little. "Wow. What an idiot I've been."

"A fool, maybe, but not an idiot, Steve." Brandon clapped him on the back. "Now, I'm going to go check on Kelly. Make sure she's okay. Maybe smooth things over a bit for you. But you need to make sure you find her before the party is over and apologize. You got me?"

"Yeah." Steve grumbled. "I've got you. Maybe I can go find Donna. I heard she and David broke up."

"Nu uh." Brandon shook his head. "Don't you know that's the number one taboo? Never date your ex's best friend. Period."

"Yeah, but Donna's not Kelly's best friend. Brenda is." Steve joked, waltzing away with a laugh. "But I hear you. Donna's off limits."

Brandon nodded, watching him go, a satisfied smile playing across his features. He knew he and Steve had very different ideals and morals, but he had always hoped he was having a positive affect on Steve. He turned and began to make his way towards the house when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Brandon."

"Hey, Chief." He greeted Andrea with a wide smile. She looked overly worried about something – as usual. Brandon couldn't understand why. It was summer – a time to kick back and relax. At least for those students fortunate enough not to have to work… "What's up?"

"Um, nothing much, really." Andrea fell into step with him. "I just, well, I just wanted to talk to you about something. I needed to tell you before you heard it from someone else first."

Brandon knitted his eyebrows together in concern. "Is something wrong, Andrea? You seem upset."

"I'm not upset, Brandon. I'm just a bit worried."

"Well tell me about it. Maybe we can put our heads together and figure something out." Brandon grinned, easily falling into the position of listening ear and chief advisor for Andrea. It was a position he had gotten comfortable with over the past couple of years.

"I'm going to be working at the Beverly Hills Beach Club this summer." She announced in one hurried breath.

"What?" Brandon was a bit taken aback. Henry hadn't mentioned it to him at all and even though he truly did enjoy Andrea's company, he had always thought of the Beach Club as a bit of an escape from everything and everyone – though most of them ended up showing up there anyway.

"With the kids. A day care camp sort of thing." Andrea continued. "I asked Henry not to tell you because I wanted to tell you myself."

"Well, that's great, Chief." Brandon plastered on what was really only half a fake smile. "That means we'll get to see each other a lot this summer, right?"

Andrea nodded, though she still looked perplexed.

"What else is it, Andrea? Something else is eating at you, isn't there? You might as well spill it. You know I'll get it out of you eventually." Brandon teased.

"Have you heard of a guy named Jay Thurman?"

Brandon hesitated for a long moment before he finally nodded. He had read some old editions of the Blaze that had his name in the byline. "Yeah. Editor of the Blaze before you, right?"

"Right." Andrea smiled a secretive little smile that Brandon had once foolishly believed was reserved for only him. "Well, I bumped into him the other day at the Peach Pit and well…" She trailed off, her expression telling Brandon what her words were not.

"Well, what?" Brandon prompted her, knowing that he needed to hear it from her lips before it could actually sink it. "You dating him or something."

Andrea gave a little shrug. "Or something. I'm not exactly sure what. But we've gone out a couple of times and I think there might be something there."

"Something there?" Brandon knew he felt like an idiot just echoing her words, but he didn't know what else to say. Suddenly all his emotions were a jumbled mess. One minute he thought he was falling for Kelly Taylor, now just the thought of loosing Andrea's loyal and undivided devotion, irritated him almost as much as Steve's derogatory remarks about Kelly had.

"Yeah." Andrea was beaming and Brandon could tell she wanted him to tell her congratulations or something, but he couldn't force the words past his lips. She waited a moment, her eyes gradually beginning to narrow suspiciously. "Say something Brandon."

"What do you want me to say?" Brandon tried to play it cool, but he knew he was failing miserably.

"I want you to say you're happy for me." Andrea stated bluntly. "I want you to encourage me to go for it."

"I, uh…" Brandon ran his hand through his hair nervously. Was she doing this to him on purpose? Sure, he knew he had had plenty of opportunities to go out with Andrea himself, but the timing had never been right. Or, they had mutually decided their friendship was more important than a relationship.

"You are such a hypocrite, Brandon." Andrea had taken on her motherly, scolding tone. "I overheard you and Dylan railing Steve for still being so hung up on a girl who will never love him back, telling him that he needs to get over her, and yet when a girl – me – tells you that she's finally gotten over a guy that she's been hopelessly crushing on for years, you have nothing to say just because that _guy_ happens to be you."

"Andrea, that's not what is going on here." Brandon protested weakly. "I am happy for you. I just don't know the guy and I want to make sure you don't get hurt."

"Right." Andrea snorted. "Make whatever excuses you want, Brandon. You're upset because you don't want me liking anyone but you. Admit it. I'd have more respect for you if you did."

"I-"

"You won't, will you?" Andrea turned away in exasperation, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. "For the past two years I have sat and watched you date dozens of girls. Emily, Melissa, Sheryl, Carla… Geeze. I can't even remember all of their names. I don't know how you possibly can. Yet now, finally, when I find someone I'm actually interested in, you get all huffy, like I've done you wrong or something. I don't get you, Brandon Walsh. And I don't think I ever will."

Andrea began to walk away and Brandon began to wonder if that was all he was going to see of his friends this summer – their backs. "Andrea, wait!" He called after her, wishing he could say something that would make up for his earlier blunder.

"Not any longer, Brandon. Not any longer." She murmured just loudly for him to hear as she continued to walk away, leaving him alone in the driveway wondering just where he had messed up so badly.

_Author's Notes:_

_Now, before any of you guys get upset for the way that I wrote Steve in this chapter – you have to remember that this is high school Steve and though onscreen we always say him hopelessly devoted to Kelly, we all know, per his own admission, that he was the one who was spreading all those rumors even back when he was pretending to be her best friend. Anyway… I may have painted him a bit harsher than he may actually have been, but it was necessary. :) Don't worry. I think this will be the lowest Steve stoops in this story. I, personally, love Steve. I always thought he was one of the best, most overall enjoyable characters. _

_Anyhoo… Next part will be up probably early next week unless I get some time to write this weekend. I need to update my other fics. The next part will be a Brenda part and yes, it will take place during the slumber party. Actually, the next three parts probably will take place during that party. :) Maybe by the tenth part I'll finally get to Day 2. :p _


	7. Seven: A New Spin on Truth or Dare

_Author's Notes:_

_Good morning everyone! It is nearly one in the morning for me and I have wrapped up the seventh chapter in what is quickly becoming my personal favorite of my stories. Of course that could be just because I'm getting the most inspiration for it right now… Anyway… It is one in the morning and though I did proof it, it still may have some typos. Please forgive me if there are…_

_This one is for you, Court… If it hadn't been for you begging for a new part of Summer Lovin', I'd still be bashing my head against a brick wall trying to come up with the next part of Error Proof… _

**Chapter Seven**

***.*.*.***

**A New Spin on Truth or Dare**

"This was such a great idea, Brenda." Andrea Zuckerman stated happily as she went for a second helping of the lite popcorn that Cindy had popped up for the girls before politely heading upstairs with Jim. "I think it's the perfect sendoff for our own little Mademoiselle Martin. You know, Donna, in a little over twelve hours, you are going to be the envy of most teenage girls out there."

Brenda watched as her blonde friend made an attempt to smile at Andrea's comments, her expression clearly giving away the fact that she had not been paying attention to the other girl's words. "Um, yeah." Donna remarked, pushing at her strawberry swirl ice cream sprinkled with popcorn – just the way she normally loved it. "It's going to be great."

"Come on, Don." Brenda took a seat on the overstuffed sofa beside Donna. "You've got to cheer up. The trip is going to be great."

"The trip _was_ going to be great. That was until first Kelly back out on me and now you." Donna reported glumly, crossing her arms against her chest. Though Donna was not one to ever hold a grudge, Brenda could tell that her backing out at the last minute had upset the blonde far more than it had her parents. Surprisingly, Jim and Cindy had taken the news quite well.

"I'm sorry, Donna." Kelly plopped down on the other side of Donna, taking one of Donna's hands in her own and giving it an affectionate squeeze. "If I had known things were going to work out the way they were, I wouldn't have sold Brenda my ticket. But it's too late now. Jackie is counting on me to watch Erin while she and Mel go on their honeymoon."

"I know, Kel. And I'm not upset with you. I'm really not. I just wish David…"

"Forget David!" Valerie interjected herself into the conversation from her position in Jim Walsh's favorite living chair. She was wearing a pair of Brandon's flannel pajamas and though they ran a bit big on her, they were far better than the ones Brenda was going to lend her. Somehow Valerie had completely forgotten to pack sleepwear and while Cindy had promised to take her out shopping the next day, the girl needed something to sleep in that night.

"How can I just forget David?" Donna moaned, closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the sofa cushion. "We were dating for nearly two years. I love him!"

"You're so young, Donna. How can you even know what love is?" Valerie snorted skeptically and Brenda was once again forced to realize that the little girl she had grown up with, the girl who had dreamed about falling in love alongside Brenda, was long gone, only to replaced by a caustic and jaded young woman who had been hurt and betrayed by the one person she should have been able to trust most in the world.

"Look, Donna, you're going to be in Paris. Europe's most romantic city." Kelly murmured beside Donna, a dreamy expression on her young face. "Perhaps you'll meet some gorgeous Frenchman who will sweep you off your feet and make you forget all about silly David Silver. And then when you come home in twelve weeks, David will realize what a complete idiot he has been."

"I want him to realize what a complete idiot he is right now." Donna grumbled and Brenda could tell that the younger girl was determined _not_ to be cheered up right now.

"Let's play a game." Brenda suggested, a playfully wicked grin crossing her face. Cindy had pulled out a dusty old edition of _Girl Talk_ as well as _Scrabble_, _Monopoly_ and a deck of playing cards, but Brenda had a hunch none of those games would be getting too much playing time tonight.

"What did you have in mind?" Andrea inquired, and Brenda could tell she was thinking along the exact same lines as Brenda. "Truth or Dare?"

"You can't be serious, Brenda!" Valerie exclaimed as Brenda let out a little peal of laughter. "We can't play that. That would be the epitome of stereotypes! I can just imagine Brandon watching up from the stairwell laughing his ass off as we each talk about our first kiss!"

"Or our first time." Kelly added with a grimace, clearly remembering her own recollection during a game of Truth or Dare at their last slumber party. "Are you sure Truth or Dare is such a good idea, Bren? I mean, last time it got a little hairy."

Brenda nodded thoughtfully. She knew Kelly was right, but she also knew it wouldn't be a true slumber party if they didn't delve a little into their personal lives. Plus, Brenda wanted Valerie to feel like she was a part of the group and she couldn't think of a better way to do so than to have the other girls open up a bit about their own issues and struggles.

"I think we should play, but maybe mix it up a bit." Donna seemed to be slipping out of her funk a bit. "Like do a cross of spin the bottle and Truth or Dare."

"Now I know Brandon is laughing at us!" Valerie let out a low groan. "Spin the Bottle?"

"Well, not exactly. Not the kissing part of it anyway."

"Right." Kelly chuckled. "Because David will never forgive himself for not setting up a video camera to capture some girl-on-girl action."

"Ugh." Andrea groaned. "Let's not even go there."

"We're not." Brenda shook her head adamantly. She knew Brandon swore he would stay in his room all night, but she wasn't exactly sure she could trust him – especially not with Kelly downstairs in nothing but a rather cute pair of cropped light pink silk pajamas. "Donna, why don't you go ahead and explain what you mean by a cross of Spin the Bottle and Truth or Dare?"

A mischievous smile spread across Donna's lips. "Well, it's essentially the same game except we write down all the questions and dares on slips of paper and put them in a hat or something off to the side. Then, one of us spins the bottle and whoever the bottle ends up pointing to has to draw something from the hat. If they don't want to do whatever it says they have to draw two other ones and pick one out of those."

"I guess that sounds alright." Kelly admitted cautiously. "Who makes up the questions?"

"We all do, right?" Valerie stated. "Maybe we can each come up with three questions and two dares."

"Sounds like a plan." Brenda nodded. "I'll go get some paper and pens while you guys are thinking." She quickly rose to her feet and headed towards the staircase, half expecting to see Brandon perched on the steps eavesdropping on their conversation.

Brandon, however, was not on the stairwell and Brenda hurried up the steps to retrieve the notebook paper and pens that she had promised. Once inside her room, she quickly picked up her binder that was resting on her vanity, pulling out several sheets of clean paper. She grabbed a couple of pens but was not surprisingly short a couple.

"Brandon!" She yelled, knowing that though the house appeared to be well built, the walls were paper thin and he would have no trouble hearing her call.

Brenda waited several seconds, listening as Brandon made noise in the other room – probably getting dressed or something. Half a minute later he appeared in the bathroom doorway, an expectant look on his face as he held the cordless phone against his chest. He was obviously talking to someone.

"Who you talking to?" Brenda found herself asking before she bothered to inquire about whether or not he had stolen the pens their mom had just bought her.

"Steve." Brandon informed her simply.

"Steve." Brenda scrunched up her face in a disgusted expression. She knew Steve was Brandon's best friend, but all he ever did was hurt _her_ best friend and she just couldn't forgive that. After the scene he had made earlier – a scene she still had not found out all the details to – Brenda would be happy if she never saw his mug again.

"Yes, Steve." Brandon let out a heavy sigh. "Look, Bren. He's not a bad guy underneath it all."

"Right. I realize that." Brenda admitted, trying to give the blonde the benefit of the doubt. "He's just obsessed with Kelly and rather than trying to be sweet and win her back, he just has to go and prove her what a good decision she made to dump his ass two years ago."

"He's trying to get over her."

"How hard is it to get over someone?" Brenda rolled her eyes, though she knew she was being far too harsh. When she and Dylan had broken up last summer she had naively believed it wouldn't be difficult to forget about him and the tenderness they had shared. Unfortunately, even after spending nearly the entire summer apart, Brenda discovered she was even more in love with him than she had been before they broke up. "Never mind. I'm sorry I said that."

"Was there something you needed?" Brandon asked, clearly impatient and wanting to get back on the phone with Steve.

Brenda nodded. "Some pens. We're playing a weird Spin on Truth or Dare," She smiled at her own description, "And I need a few more pens. The ones mom just bought me have mysteriously disappeared."

"Don't look at me." Brandon shook his head as he disappeared back into his own room only to reappear a few seconds later with several pens in hand. "Maybe Dad took them. He was looking for something to write with earlier."

"Dad was in my room?" Brenda asked appalled.

"I don't know. Probably. When Val got here. They gave her a tour before bringing her down to the party." Brandon hesitated, a strange expression on his face and Brenda knew he wanted to ask her for more information on why Valerie was really here.

"Not right now, Brandon." Brenda cautioned him.

"Alright." Brandon accepted this, knowing his twin well enough to know that Brenda would no doubt end up telling him anyway. Brenda just hoped Valerie told him before her, though. She didn't know how much she'd be able to keep from him.

"The girls are waiting for me." Brenda accepted the pens from him then began to head out of her room. Then, casting a teasing glance over her shoulder called back to him, "No eavesdropping, Brandon! Especially when it's Kelly's turn."

"Don't worry. I won't." Brandon assured her and unfortunately Brenda knew her brother was telling the truth. He was far too much of a boy scout to take advantage of his twin sister having a slumber party with some of the hottest girls in school.

Brenda returned to the living room, trying to force all thoughts of her brother from her mind. She could tell something was really bothering him and she had a suspicion it had something to do with Steve and what had gone down earlier.

"Alright, here we go." She announced, passing the pens and paper out to the four girls gathered in her living room. "Now remember, nothing too risqué. I don't want to call my dad at three in the morning from a jail cell."

"You know me too well." Valerie quipped as she accepted her pen and paper, immediately beginning to write. Brenda secretly hoped she did not draw any of Valerie's truths or dares. The girl could sometimes be quite dangerous.

Taking a seat on the floor, Brenda began to think of three questions and two dares. After coming up with a few that she thought were decent but not _too_ horrible, Brenda wrote them down, folded them and put the in a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball hat that someone had produced while she had been upstairs.

"Everyone ready?" Brenda inquired, glancing around the group of girls. They all nodded in affirmation. "Alright. Well, I guess it's time to spin the bottle."

"We need to get a bottle first." Kelly pointed out with a grin. "I looked in the kitchen but I didn't see anything. I think your mom has already recycled all the ones from the party and I wasn't sure where she kept the recycling."

"I'll get it." Brenda rolled her eyes at her mother's over-efficiency. She hurried out to the garage, glancing over at the front lawn, a big grin on her face as she thought of one of the dares she had written down. She truly hoped she did not draw her own dare. After selecting a bottle that her other had already rinsed yet still had tie to dry, Brenda ran back inside, knowing the girls were probably starting to get antsy and she didn't want anyone to give any excuses to back out.

"So, who's first?" Andrea asked.

"I think that since you're the one who asked, you get to go first." Donna stated with a smile.

"Okay." Andrea nodded, reaching over to draw a slip of paper out of the hat, then read aloud, "Truth. If you could date any movie star, who would you date?"

"Now that's a Kelly question!" Donna announced loudly. "Right?"

"You got me." Kelly admitted. "So who is it, Andrea? Christian Slater? Val Kilmer? Harrison Ford?"

"Ew. Harrison Ford is _old_!" Andrea exclaimed. "No. I think my all time movie star crush would have to be Wil Wheaton."

"Who?" Kelly looked at her dumbly.

"Isn't he that guy from Star Trek?" Valerie stared at Andrea with a bit of disbelief. "The kid?"

"Yeah." Andrea admitted, her cheeks tingeing crimson. "But I started liking him in Toy Soldiers."

"Ah yes. Joey Trotta. I remember." Donna gave Andrea a secretive grin. "He is a cutie, isn't he?"

"I always thought so." Andrea nodded, then as if she were in a hurry to move on, quickly added, "So that was my turn. Now I spin the bottle and whoever it points to has to draw, right?"

"Right." Donna confirmed as Andrea gave the empty Coke bottle a quick twist.

Five pairs of eyes watched the bottle spin around several times before it finally stopped, pointing directly at Kelly. "Ugh. I guess that means its my turn." Kelly reached for the hat, fishing out a slip of paper." She read it silently before reading it aloud, and Brenda could tell that Kelly had drawn a good one.

"What does it say, Kel?" She prompted.

"I don't want to do it." Kelly shook her head adamantly. "I'll draw two others."

"But you still have to read it, right?" Valerie pressed, an almost-malicious glint in her eye.

"I guess I can read it." Kelly mumbled. "It was a truth. How many people have you had sex with."

"Ugh." Brenda scowled. "Who wrote that?"

"It doesn't matter, does it?" Valerie snapped. "It was a question and Kelly is too chicken to answer it so she draws two more and has to do one of them."

Without another word, Kelly reached in and pulled out two slips of paper. She read the first one, a slight smile on her lips as she glanced up at Donna. "I'd know this one was yours without recognizing the handwriting. But I can't do it. I don't want to wake Erin."

"What was it?" Brenda asked, amused by Donna's disappointed expression.

"It was dare." Kelly informed her. "To call David and tell him what an ass he was. I think I might just do it just because. Though I may wait until tomorrow, if that's alright, Donna?"

"Fine by me." Donna seemed happy by Kelly's response.

"So what's the other one? The one you _have_ to do now?" Andrea asked, clearly interested in how the game was progressing.

Kelly slowly unrolled the paper and from Brenda's vantage point she could recognize her own handwriting. "Truth. Who is your hopeless crush?"

"Oh, that's a good one." Valerie's tone contained a hard edge and Brenda was beginning to have flashbacks of their last slumber party with Valerie aptly filling Amanda's place.

"Well," Kelly let out a long sigh. "I don't think my hopeless crush is any big secret. I've thrown myself at him enough times and made a complete fool of myself for it."

"Who?" Valerie demanded, though Brenda and the rest of the girls remained silent. They all already knew the answer to the question.

"Brandon." Kelly stated simply with a shrug. "It's no big secret."

"Brandon? You have a thing for Brandon Walsh?" Valerie eyed Kelly skeptically. "You're kidding, right? Why haven't you two gotten together?"

"That's not part of the question, Valerie." Kelly pointed out, wadding her slip of paper into a tiny ball while replacing the other two back in the hat. She reached down and spun the bottle, watching it carefully as it swung around, resting once it was pointing directly at Valerie. "It's your turn." Kelly informed her in a sing-songy sweet voice.

"Whatever it is, I'll do it. I'm not afraid." Valerie stated as if making a jab at Kelly. She quickly plucked a paper out of the hat and read what was written aloud for all to hear. "'Truth. What do you really think about David breaking up with Donna?' Interesting question, _Donna_. But honestly, I don't really know what to tell you. I barely know you. I barely know David. But from what I do know, he did the right thing."

"What?" Brenda heard Andrea gasp.

"How can you say that, Val?" Brenda could not mask her disappointment with her friend. She had not expected Valerie to get along perfectly with her friends, but she had hoped Val would make an effort to at least be civil. To say that David had done the right thing with Donna was obviously in so much pain was just plain cruel. "When did you become heartless?"

"Do you really have to ask that, Brenda?" Valerie turned her cool gaze onto Brenda.

"I agree with Val." All eyes turned to Kelly who had been playing with her crumpled question, tracing patterns into the carpet.

"Why?" Donna's voice was pitiful as she stared at Kelly in horror. "How can you say David did the right thing by breaking up with me?"

"He wants to have sex." Kelly stated, still unable to look up to meet Donna's gaze. "You've made it clear that you're not ready, and I totally respect you for that decision. However, David doesn't want to wait. If he had stayed with you, I'm afraid he would have ended up cheating on you – hurting you even worse than he already has."

Donna could not tear her eyes away from Kelly, but Brenda found herself secretly agreeing with Kelly, at least in how she explained it. She did not know David as well as she knew some of the others in their group, but she knew Mel had been a habitual cheater and apples rarely fell far from the tree…

"Let's move on, okay?" Brenda suggested, knowing that even if they did move on, the hurt of Kelly's betrayal would remain with Donna probably the entire time she was in Paris.

Without a word, Valerie spun the bottle, smiling a little as it settled back on her. "Well, that's interesting. Do I go again?"

Brenda nodded, her heart not really in the game any longer. She hadn't expected such harsh questions to be asked. Or at least not in the way they had been asked. She listened with half an ear as Valerie drew another question, this one asking something about dream colleges or something. No doubt it was an Andrea question. Valerie replied stating that she had no plans on attending college, then spun the bottle again, having it land on Donna.

"My turn." Donna frowned. She pulled out a piece of paper, her entire face turning bright red as she read the words. "Dare. Run outside completely naked and at the top of your lungs, scream, 'I'm a goddess.'" Donna's eyes turned to Brenda, her shock apparent. "I can't do this, Brenda!"

Brenda felt bad that Donna had drawn her question. She had actually expected Kelly or Val to have drawn it. They would have probably done it. "Then draw something else." She suggested.

Donna quickly nodded, replacing the question and drawing out two more. "'Dare. Spin the bottle and kiss whoever the bottle points to.' Or 'Truth. How many people have you had sex with.' Gee, I wonder which one I'll answer." Donna's voice dripped with bitterness as she threw one of the questions back in. "None. My answer is none. I've never slept with anyone and I don't intend to until I'm married. And if David has a problem with that, that's _his_ problem, not mine."

"It is his problem, Don." Kelly said softly. "And I admire you so much that you've made that commitment. I wish I had never slept with any guy. I wish I had been able to answer that question myself."

"You couldn't?" Valerie studied Kelly with new eyes.

Kelly shook her head. "Honestly, I don't even know how many guys I've been with. Over a dozen, at least."

"A dozen?" Valerie seemed unwilling to believe it. "Are you serious?"

"Don't, Valerie. Now really isn't the time." Brenda cautioned, seeing her best friend already starting to get very emotional. "Let's just get on with the game. Get it finished up and then maybe we can watch _True Romance_ or something."

"Two more spins and that's it." Donna stated. "You haven't had a turn yet, Brenda."

"You noticed that, huh?" Brenda grinned, not at all minding that the bottle had not chosen to point in her direction yet. Then, as if to mock her, Brenda watched as Donna spun the bottle, it whirling around almost violently until it began to slow, stopping when it pointed square at her.

"Well, look at that. Looks like you get a turn after all, Brenda." Valerie's tone was light though Brenda could have sworn it had a hint of mockery in it.

"Truth. Would you choose love over friendship?" Brenda read the question aloud, staring down at Andrea's neat handwriting as she puzzled out her response. Normally, in a room full of her friends her immediate answer would be friendship, but Brenda was not certain that was the truth. She closed her eyes, imagining scales with Kelly on one side and Dylan on the other. Try as she might to have them tip in one direction or the other, they remained perfectly balanced.

"I don't know." She admitted at last. "I would like to have both. I think that in every friendship there is love and every true love is based on friendship. So my answer is both."

The girls nodded, seemingly accepting her response, even though Brenda knew it was a bit of a cop out.

"Last spin." Andrea announced as Brenda twisted the bottle one final time. It barely spun at all, only reaching halfway around the circle to point at the blonde who had been in her thoughts only a moment before.

"Looks like it's you again, Kel." Brenda found herself whispering, a very bad feeling creeping over her.

Kelly nodded, pursing her lips together in a fine line as she withdrew a question. She read it, shaking her head slowly. "I think we've already established I'm not going to do anything that could wake up Erin. Sorry, Donna."

"The anchovy pizza one?" Donna asked with almost a hint of hope in her voice.

"Yeah. The anchovy one." Kelly grinned, dropping the paper back in the hat before pulling out two more. "'Dare.'" She began the first, her face blanching. "'Go upstairs and if Brandon is in bed, climb into bed with him and give him a kiss goodnight. If he's not in bed, ask him if you can sleep with him instead of downstairs.'"

"Valerie!" Brenda exclaimed, knowing that it had to be her long-time friend who had thrown that dare into the mix. It was a dare that had frequently been used between just the two of them when Valerie would sleep over at the Walsh house. It had never been that big of a deal because Brenda had never minded giving Brandon a kiss good night, though she was thankful Valerie had moved away before climbing into bed with her brother had become inappropriate.

"What?" Valerie was cracking up hysterically. "How was I supposed to know she would be the one to draw it?"

"It wasn't appropriate. Period." Brenda stated coolly. "Draw another, Kelly."

"Already have." Kelly replied, her tone glum.

"What does it read?" Brenda pressed, suddenly very, very worried.

"Dare. Call Steve and tell him you're in love with him."

_Author's Notes:_

_Uh oh. What will Kelly do? *evil smile* If it's any giveaway, the nest part is a Brandon chapter… Though of course he was on the phone with Steve, so I suppose it can go either way, now can't it? For those of you who might want to know – I did write out questions and dares for each of the girls. Several of them were covered in what I wrote, the others were going to be, but when my chapter got into the 9__th__ page I decided to bring it to a close. Here are the questions, though. _

**Valerie**

What is the worst thing you have ever done?

If you could redo any one thing in your life, what would it be?

* other Val questions covered in story

**Brenda**

If you could go out with anyone, who would it be?

What is your biggest fear?

Everyone takes on thing out of the fridge and puts it in a blender. Drink it.

* other Brenda questions covered in story

**Donna**

What is your favorite memory?

How many days have you gone without showering?

* other Donna questions covered in story

**Andrea**

What did you dream of being when you were little?

Steal Brandon's keys, drive to the grocery store, and buy more ice cream!

* other Andrea questions covered in story

**Kelly**

Other than your current beau, who do you have a crush on?

What is your worst habit?

Say two nice things about each girl here.

Call one of the guys from school and tell him you've been madly in love with him for over a year then hang up before you give him your name.

_As you can see, I actually asked the least amount of Kelly questions, but that's because hers were the ones I thought of last and I was having trouble of coming up with some good ones. BTW, if you really must know – the Steve question was one of Andrea's dares. :)_


	8. Eight: Sea of Bitterness

_Author's Notes:_

_Well, here's the second installment of the slumber party arc… And as promised, it's a Brandon part. :) I'm still not 100% satisfied with it, but Court upheld her part of the bargain that I forced upon her, so I figured I might as well as pull a Brandon and keep my promises as well. :) So anyway, here it is. Enjoy!_

**Chapter Eight**

***.*.*.*.***

**Sea of Bitterness**

"I'm sure she didn't really mean she never wanted to see you again, Steve." Brandon attempted to console his still-fuming friend as he listened on the other end of the phone to the tall athlete recount his pathetic attempt at the apology he had made to Kelly earlier in the evening. Everyone at the party had been witness to the fiery exchange that had taken place between the former lovers, though Brandon, like most of the guests, had tried their best not to overhear.

"You didn't see the way she looked at me, man." Steve lamented pitifully. "I've never seen Kelly that upset and unreasonable. She's always been a little neurotic, but she's never been _this_ bad."

Brandon rolled his eyes. Steve always resorted to name calling when he knew he was in the wrong. "Steve calm down. I'm sure if you give Kelly a little time and space she'll forgive you. Eventually. But you have to admit you've been a complete ass to her for the past two years. Whatever the two of you had, it's gone now. It's time to move on."

"I know, Brandon. Believe me, I know." Steve sounded weary. "It's just hard to actually do."

"Weren't you the guy who only earlier today was telling me that this was the summer for lovin'?" Brandon quoted Steve. "It's not the summer for pining away for lost loves. It's the summer for finding new ones. You're young. Wealthy. Good looking, or at least so I've been told." Brandon joked. "Get out there. Get in the game."

"I'll try." Steve grumbled. "I just wish Kelly wasn't so beautiful and charming. When she wants to be. Don't get me wrong, she can be a Class 1 Bit-"

"No name calling." Brandon cut Steve off, knowing he could not tolerate Steve trying to drag Kelly's name through the mud. Again. "It only makes you look worse than you already do."

"Whatever. You know what I mean. Look, I've got another call. Let me get rid of them and I'll be right back."

Brandon listened as Steve clicked over, wishing that his own parents would someday investing in call-waiting. With the amount of time Brenda spent on the telephone, Brandon never knew if he had actually missed a call while he was at work or not.

Several minutes ticked by and Brandon was tempted to hang up the phone. Steve had no doubt forgotten about him. It had happened before. Glancing down at his silver wristwatch, Brandon decided to give his friend one more minute before giving up on him. It was already getting late and though he knew the girls downstairs would probably be up until one or two in the morning, Brandon wanted to turn in at a halfway decent hour.

The thought of the girls downstairs, send Brandon's mind in a direction he did not want to go – especially when he thought of two in particular: Andrea Zuckerman and Kelly Taylor. Up until a few hours ago, Brandon had been about to admit he was completely smitten with Kelly. He had even been tempted to try and pursue a relationship with the blonde. But that had been until Andrea had made her sudden announcement concerning Jay.

_Andrea dating._ The thought turned Brandon's stomach to mush. He didn't begrudge Andrea a boyfriend or happiness for that matter, but just knowing that he was no longer the object of his long-time friend's affections made him feel a little ill, if not somewhat jealous.

Andrea had been one hundred percent accurate when she accused him of only being interested in her now that she was no longer available. The whole theory of always wanting what you can't have. Brandon had never wanted to go _there_ with Andrea, however, because he had never wanted to destroy the good friendship they currently had. Or was that just an excuse?

Brandon closed his eyes, trying to block all thoughts of both Kelly and Andrea from his mind. He was never going to get any sleep tonight if he kept thinking about the two extremely different yet equally enticing young women.

"Hey bro, you still there?" Steve suddenly clicked back onto the line, his voice sounding excited.

"Yeah, Steve. I'm here. Where else would I have gone?" Brandon asked him in exasperation.

"Look, I hate to do this to you, but I've got to go." Steve stated. "You'll never guess who just called me."

Brandon rolled his eyes. It was obviously a girl. "Who?"

"You remember Katie Carter?"

"Of course." Brandon nodded. Katie Carter was a year ahead of them in school, having graduated only a couple of weeks ago. She was the spitting image of Kelly and to the last of Brandon's knowledge was dating one of the graduating senior football players. "Who can forget Katie?"

"Well, not me. I've had a crush on her since 8th grade." Steve's voice literally squeaked.

"So, what did she want?"

"Me."

"You?" Brandon sounded doubtful. "You mean like a booty call?"

"You could say that." Steve replied cockily.

"Seriously, Steve. What did she want?" Brandon did not believe his friend for a minute. He doubted Katie even knew Steve's name. She was definitely not the sort to waste her time on anyone in a grade below her.

"I'm serious, man. She wanted to go out. Tonight."

"Tonight? It's already 10:30." Brandon frowned. "Are you sure you heard her correctly?"

Steve fell silent for a second, obviously thinking something over. "Alright. You want the truth?"

"Obviously."

"It _was_ Katie Carter who called me, but she didn't want to go out." Steve admitted at last. "She's totally plastered at some bar on the strip and needs a ride home."

"So she called you?" Brandon was still skeptical.

"I gave her my number the last day of classes and told her to call me over the summer. I guess it was the only number she had on her." Steve sounded quite pleased with himself.

"Alright. Well, be careful. There's probably a lot of drunk drivers out on the road tonight. Especially on the strip."

"Don't worry. I will be. Now you… You get yourself downstairs. You have five smoking hot women in your house and I can't believe you're not taking advantage of that fact."

"One of them is my sister." Brandon returned with a chuckle. "Besides, Brenda would kill me if I even attempted to sneak down the stairs."

"Who's to say you'd get caught?"

"Believe me, I'd get caught. I tried it once when we were in junior high. Even before I had even opened the door to my bedroom she knew somehow. Maybe it's a twin thing."

"I still say you give it a shot. You never know. You might just get lucky. Andrea's a terrific kisser."

"I know." Brandon replied without thinking, then as if realizing what Steve had just said, exclaimed, "Hey, wait a minute, how do you know Andrea's a great kisser?" But Steve had already hung up and Brandon was left with a dial tone for an answer.

Deciding that Steve had to be jerking his chain, Brandon hung up the phone then flicked off the light switch. He had already stripped out of his tee shirt and while he knew he had plenty of pajamas in his drawer, he was really too lazy to be bothered with that right now. Besides, he was short his favorite pair thanks to Valerie Malone.

He quickly slipped under the sheet and a thin blanket, closing his eyes and forcing his mind to review what could have possibly gone wrong for the Los Angeles Kings that season when they had finally been so close to the Stanley Cup that they could have tasted it. Instead it went to the stupid Montreal Canadians who already had twenty-three of them.

_Damn Patrick Roy._ He thought to himself, knowing that it was Montreal's young hotshot goalie that had won them the series. That and stupid Marty McSorley playing with an illegal stick in Game 2. He couldn't believe a guy who had been the league as long as McSorley had would take a risk like that. Especially not in the Stanley Cup finals!

A soft, timid knock sounded on Brandon's door, interrupting his nice safe thoughts about hockey. "Yeah?" He called out, almost hoping that he had imagined the knock. "Bren? Is that you? Come on in."

The door to his bedroom slowly eased open and he saw a distinctively female form outlined in the shadows. She stepped inside his room and Brandon felt his pulse begin to race. He sat up a little in his bed, trying to make out just who it was that had covertly entered his bedroom, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was not Brenda who lingered in the darkness, allowing her eyes to adjust to the unfamiliar room.

She quickly crossed the room and in the faint moonlight Brandon caught a glimpse of long, golden blonde hair. "Kel?" He breathed out her name, feeling his body begin to react to her presence. "Is that you?"

"Shhhh… Don't say a word." Kelly's voice was soft and hushed as she lowered herself onto his bed, slipping under his covers and immediately positioning herself on top of him. Her paper-thin pajamas were hardly a barrier for her sensuous body and soft skin; more like the wrapping on a delightful candy that just begged to be ripped away, though they definitely served their purpose in driving Brandon wild with that desire.

Brandon felt his control begin to slip as she lowered her head, capturing his lips against her own, holding them there for only a split second before lowering her mouth, tracing along his jawbone with her tongue and sending shivers of pure delight coursing through his body. He felt his arms pull her close, his body begging him to throw his common sense out the window and cave into his overwhelming physical desires that were swiftly turning into demands.

"Kel…" He groaned her name as her lips found the delicate skin that connected his jaw with his neck, giving it a playful nip before trailing mind-numbingly sensual kisses along his neck and down to his collarbone. He closed his eyes, slowly yielding himself to Kelly's advances, knowing that she was quickly bringing him to a point of no return.

Kelly silenced him with her lips, a kiss that was a far cry from the hesitantly yearning one they had shared that afternoon. Her tongue danced along his lips and Brandon felt himself open to her, allowing her entrance. Their kiss deepened and Brandon felt as if he was somehow sharing his entire soul with her in that very moment.

"Oh Kelly." He breathed out when at last they broke apart, her brilliant blue eyes staring down at him with pure, unrestrained adoration. So many times in his dreams he had been visited by this goddess yet even his wildest fantasies paled in comparison to holding her like this, knowing that despite everything in his head that screamed this was not right, things were changing for them tonight. Changing for forever.

Kelly slowly shifted herself into an upright position, her knees on the bed as she straddled him. She studied him from her vantage point, a coy smile playing on her lips that Brandon desperately wanted to kiss away. Intense yearning coursed through Brandon's body, clouding his thoughts and blocking out everything save for the insanely desirable young woman sitting atop him. Best friends with Steve or not, Brandon _wanted_ this woman.

Without saying a word, Kelly slowly began to unbutton the tiny pink pearl buttons that kept her pajama shirt closed. She kept her gaze steady on his face, her fingers fumbling at the third button. Brandon reached up, partly to assist and partly because he could not stand not touching her for a second longer. The rational part of his brain was screaming at him not to do this, but fortunately, that part was no longer in control.

The shirt slipped away, revealing first the elegant arching neck leading down to her creamy white shoulders then to quite possibly the most beautiful breasts Brandon had ever laid eyes on. His hand fell back, afraid its roughness might mar their perfection. This seemed to amuse Kelly and she smiled, the moonlight catching against her bare skin, basking her in an almost mystical blue light.

"Hey." She whispered softly, studying him thoughtfully.

"Hey you." He croaked out, trying to find something for his hands to do. Almost absent-mindedly he rested them on her bare thighs, noticing for the first time that during their play her pajama bottoms had slipped off and she wearing only a tiny pair of lacy pink panties.

"I, um, well, I just came up to say goodnight." Kelly murmured softly, nervously running her fingers through her long golden tresses, pushing it away from her face.

Brandon stared at her dumbly. "G-good night?" He stammered out, his arousal starting to become a bit uncomfortable with no immediate release in sight.

Kelly's lips quirked up almost as if she understood his discomfort and was, once again, amused by him. "Yeah. Good night. Is that okay?"

Brandon was in complete disbelief. _This _was how she said good night? He wanted to yell at her. He wanted to kiss her. Most of all, he wanted to rip off what remained of her clothes and make sweet love to her all night long, not giving a damn about the girls downstairs, probably already wondering where Kelly had gotten off to.

As if sensing his irritation with her, Kelly's face reddened and she glanced away, staring out his open bedroom window, an almost wistful expression on her face. "It was a dare, Brandon."

"A dare?" He repeated, his mind reeling. All this, bringing him to such a dangerous point and then just leaving him there, had been a dare? How could women be so cruel and heartless?

"I'm not saying that I don't want to, Brandon. Because I do." She turned back to meet his gaze. "I really, _really_ do. But not right now. Not like this."

_Why the hell not right now?_ Brandon's mind was screaming but somehow he found himself replying, "I understand. I guess." It must have been his rational mind regaining control.

"Don't hate me, Brandon." Kelly bit down on her lower lip, causing her to look younger than she actually was. "You don't want to know how many times I've fantasized about actually doing this. In my fantasies, though, there aren't four girls waiting downstairs. Actually, I hope they're still downstairs - not out in the hallway with their ears pressed up against the door."

Brandon groaned, closing his eyes, too frustrated to speak. He wasn't angry with Kelly. He understood girls were just as susceptible to peer pressure as guys, perhaps even more so. He was irritated with whoever came up with the damn dare – and he had a hunch he knew exactly who it was. Though he had not been in the house during Brenda's last slumber party, he was positive he would have heard about it if something like this had come up.

"Damn it, Kelly." He finally managed to get out, reopening his eyes. "Do you know hard this is?"

"Oh, I've got an idea." She giggled, glancing down meaningfully. "But don't worry… I wasn't planning on leaving you like this."

"Huh?" Brandon stared at her in confusion.

Kelly gave him a saucy wink then, with the expertise that came only with plenty of practice, Kelly wriggled down his body, allowing the blankets to slip off the bed in the process. Her fingers deftly unbuttoned his Levis, pulling open the fly in one swift movement. Her hands found him first, and before Brandon realized what she was doing, her mouth was on him.

"Kelly!" He exclaimed probably loudly enough to wake the whole house. "Don't."

Kelly's head snapped up, her expression wounded. "Wh-what did I do?

"I, uh, I don't want you to do that, Kel." Brandon shook his head. He pushed himself into a seated position, ignoring the painful discomfort as he drew his legs up to deny Kelly further access.

Kelly stared at him, seemingly in disbelief. "What do you mean? Why not? It's my fault you're in this position. Helping you out of it is the least I can do."

"I can always take a cold shower if I need to, Kel." Brandon explained slowly, wondering if any guy had ever turned her down like this before. Somehow he doubted any of them had had the strength. "I'm more concerned about _you_."

"About me?" She echoed her doubt clearly displayed on her face.

"Is this something you really want to do?" Brandon gestured towards his lower region, suddenly embarrassed to be nearly naked as they discussed this. "I mean, do girls actually enjoy that sort of thing?"

Kelly shrugged indifferently. "Girls do a lot of things that they don't necessarily enjoy." She pointed out, a fact that Brandon had not been totally oblivious to. "But if you're asking if this is something I want to do, honestly, the answer is yes. I want to give you pleasure, Brandon. I don't want you to think I'm a tease."

"Kel, I know you're not a tease." Brandon tried to consol her, all the while trying to keep control of his actions. Though his mind seemed like it was back in control, he also knew it was a very slippery slope he was on and Kelly was still only wearing a tiny pair of underwear and Brandon while was still a little self-conscious, it was obvious that Kelly was far more comfortable being nearly completely nude.

"Right. I'm a slut. And I just proved it tonight." Her lips twisted up in an ironic smile.

"You're not a slut, Kelly. And you proved _that_ tonight, not the other way around." Brandon argued with her. "You're the one who put a stop to this, not me."

"Yes, but I was the one who came into your bedroom."

"On a dare." Brandon reminded her, though he wasn't too happy with the reminder himself. "Kelly, making love to someone you care about does not make you a slut. Are you planning on remaining celibate for the rest of your life just to prove all those idiots who have spread horrible rumors about you wrong?"

"You mean Steve?" She let out a humorless laugh.

"He is one of the biggest idiots I know." Brandon assented easily, then seeing the seriousness in Kelly's gaze, added, "He is an idiot, Kelly. Not only for saying the stupid things he's said, but for letting you get away in the first place."

"I dumped him, remember?"

"I know." Brandon smiled, reaching out and touching her bare shoulder affectionately. "I want to do this the right way, Kelly. I want to spend time with you. Just you and me. I know we know each other pretty good already, but I want to really know you. Not as my sister's friend, but as my friend. As my _girlfriend_."

"Brandon, we've already talked about this." Kelly sighed, reaching down and picking up his blanket, wrapping it around her shoulders and hiding her glorious naked form from his eyes. He could only pray it was not his last chance to gaze upon her bare flesh, to have her in his bed.

"I know. You said we couldn't be together because Andrea was in love with me. But she's dating Jay Thurman or something like that now. She's not in love with me any longer." Brandon pointed out, trying to ignore the fact that it still grated on him that Andrea was actually with someone who was not him.

"And that means she doesn't love you?" Kelly shook her head sadly. "You sure have a lot to learn about women, Brandon Walsh."

"So teach me. But start with you. You're the only woman I care about right now." Brandon said with a grin, only half-joking.

"I'm not a woman yet, Brandon. Just a confused little girl who thinks that sex is the answer to everything. I almost blew what we had tonight because of a stupid dare that I got carried away with." Kelly sighed wearily. "I'm sorry, Brandon. I put you in a really bad position and that was unfair and wrong of me."

"I still want you." Brandon found himself saying.

"And I still want you." She grinned back, then added thoughtfully. "But if we had sex tonight, it would be a one-night stand that would quite possibly destroy our friendship. I'm not ready for a relationship right now. I know I said I was lonely earlier today, but I think that's what I need. To be alone. I need some time to clear my thoughts and figure out who Kelly Marlene Taylor is before I get involved with someone else."

"Marlene?" Brandon mused aloud. That was the first time he had heard her middle name. It was unusual, but Brandon thought it was beautiful – almost as much as Kelly herself. "It suits you, Kel."

"It means 'sea of bitterness.'"

"Oh." Brandon wasn't sure what to say to that. Suddenly, he regretted saying it suited her.

"I need to go back downstairs, Brandon." Kelly stated almost reluctantly. "I've been up here awhile and the girls might start to get ideas if I'm up here too much longer."

Brandon nodded, knowing that even if she had only been upstairs for two minutes they probably would have 'gotten ideas'. "Alright." He agreed, though he was reluctant to let her go.

"Kiss me one last time?" She asked him, her eyes wide and luminous in the moonlight.

Brandon was only too happy to oblige.

_Author's Notes:_

_I was seriously torn in this chapter. Not only did I struggle writing this scene – and trust me, writing love scenes is quite possibly one of the most difficult things for me to do, but I was also really tempted to actually have Brandon & Kelly do the deed. But I think I would have regretted it myself, so I kept it this way. Who knows what will happen in future chapters, though… Especially if people click that little review button and tell me how much they want Brandon & Kelly together. Or, heck, even a Brenda/Dylan centered chapter. Though you'll get those in The More Things Change the More They Stay the Same. ___

_Cheers,_

_Jianna_


	9. Nine: Tell Me Lies

_Author's Notes:_

_You guys have NO clue how difficult this chapter was to write. And there is absolutely no reason why it should have been so tough. I just had a hard time writing Valerie this time around. Originally it was supposed to be yet another slumber party chapter but it wasn't working at all, so I progressed the story a little bit further. Anyway… I did a lot of reflecting on my various fics this weekend and I've decided it's quite silly for me to just try and write from Brenda/Brandon/and Valerie's POVs. It will severely limit the story – especially since there's going to be quite a few different love-angles going on. So don't be surprised if the next chapter is a Donna chapter or something. Actually, it _is_ going to be a Donna chapter. :) And I actually think I'm going to enjoy writing it. Scary thought, huh? I finally discovered someone I like Donna paired opposite. _

_Cheers,_

_Jianna _

**Chapter Nine**

***.*.*.***

**Tell Me Lies, Tell Me Sweet Little Lies**

"It's too early for this." Valerie yawned sleepily as she eyed the rather large group of people who had shown up to send little Miss Donna off to Paris. It seemed that the entire group that had gone to the barbecue was now on Hillcrest Drive once again to make their goodbyes - the entire group except for the one interesting individual.

"Hey, where's David?" She asked, nudging the equally sleepy Brenda. After Kelly had finally come back downstairs after her little encounter with Brandon, one that Valerie was dying to learn the details of, the girls had stayed up until nearly three in the morning watching silly girlie movies that normally would have irritated Val. However, lately she found she enjoyed the mindless drivel that Hollywood had been turning out the past several years. It helped her mind take a break from reality for at least a couple hours at a time.

"I doubt he's coming." Brenda informed her with a casual shrug as she wrapped her sweatshirt tightly around her. For being summer in Southern California it was still a little cool and Valerie was beginning to wish she had brought at least a flannel out with her.

"Why not?" Valerie pressed, running her fingers through her recently cropped, chin-length hair. Though she had regretted cutting her hair so short at the time, seeing Brenda and Kelly with their far-too long hair and Donna, who was struggling to keep up, Valerie was beginning to be thankful she had a different look.

Brenda rolled her eyes, giving her head a small shake. "He and Donna just broke up. I wouldn't think he'd be very comfortable sending her off like this. He's never really been a part of the gang like the other guys. Just by dating Donna and then of course through Kelly."

"Kelly? He dated Kelly?" Valerie was surprised, though she supposed that would make sense considering Kelly's animosity towards him.

"He wishes." Brenda let out a hearty laugh. "No. They never dated, though he was once quite obsessed with her. About a year ago Kelly's mom married David's dad so technically they're step-brother and sister."

"Oh. I see." Valerie frowned. She liked what she knew of David but she definitely could not say the same of his step-sister. If Valerie was completely honest with herself, though, she knew it wasn't that Kelly rubbed her the wrong way. It just irked her and made her incredibly jealous that the blonde had seemingly taken her place in both Brenda and Brandon's lives. To be replaced by a ditzy, blonde slut was beyond insulting.

"Val, I can see what you're thinking." Brenda told her, her eyes narrowing slightly. "And I wouldn't do it if I were you. Donna is still completely in love with David. And David is probably still in love with her. You don't want to go there."

"Who's to say I was even considering it?" Valerie challenged, though truthfully she knew she had. David was by far the cutest of Brenda's friends – besides Dylan, but Valerie was smart enough to know he was off-limits.

"Whatever." Brenda rolled her eyes. "Just don't go there."

"When is that damn shuttle going to get here?" Kelly walked over to where Valerie and Brenda stood a little set off from the rest of the group. "It's _cold_ out here!"

"Hey Kel." Brenda greeted her friend with a warm smile. "You're only cold because you've never experienced a Minnesota winter. Now _that's_ cold."

Kelly shuddered. "I can't imagine. I remember when I was about five or six my mom and I got stuck in New York for three days during the winter. There was a huge blizzard going on and no flights were able to go out. Jackie had only packed summer clothes for some reason. We were _freezing!_"

"Last I heard, the Ritz-Carlton had heat." Valerie remarked before she was able to stop herself.

Kelly smirked back, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulders. "We weren't staying at the Ritz-Carlton. More like the Gershwin Hotel."

"Gershwin Hotel?" Brenda repeated, scrunching up her face as she was trying to place the name.

"It's a hostel." Kelly replied indifferently. "Back during my mom's coked-out modeling days. She thought that would be a good environment for me to be in. Somehow."

Val let out a sharp laugh, then realizing the blonde wasn't kidding, quickly stopped. "Really? Your mother was a model?"

Kelly merely nodded.

"Kelly was too." Brenda informed her. "Back when she was little. Jackie's shown me some of her photo shoots and they're truly remarkable. You should really think about giving it another go, Kel. You were really talented."

Kelly's face darkened at Brenda's words and Valerie suspected modeling was a sore subject with the blonde. "Whatever." Kelly quickly recovered her composure. "I don't have the time for that. High school is demanding enough."

Valerie shot Kelly a skeptical glance. "High school's a breeze."

"Not West Beverly." Brenda was quick to argue. "Most of the teachers grade on a curve and you'd be surprised how many students actually try. This isn't Minnesota."

"Or Buffalo apparently." Valerie shrugged. She wasn't too worried. If she was still in Beverly Hills when the school year started, she figured she'd find someone who could 'help' her with her homework. She'd always had a talent for that.

"Look, I think I see the shuttle. Let's go say goodbye to Donna." Kelly reached down and grabbed Brenda's hand. After half a moment's hesitation, she grabbed Valerie's hand as well and led the girls towards where Donna was huddled in a blanket, leaning close to Andrea, her eyes already beginning to water.

"Donna! Don't you dare cry on me!" Brenda announced as they approached the other girls. She dropped Kelly's hand and wrapped her arms around Donna's neck, giving her a fierce hug. "You're going to have so much fun. You're not going to even notice Kelly and I aren't there either."

"That's right." Kelly affirmed with a warm smile. "In fact, I even think you're going to meet some cute French boy and forget all about silly David."

"If only that were true." Donna sniffled, though Valerie noticed the blonde wasn't nearly as upset this morning as she had been the previous day. Perhaps she wasn't quite as hung up on her ex-boyfriend as Brenda seemed to think.

"Have fun, Donna." Valerie chimed in, offering the other girl a genuine smile. "I'm insanely jealous. A few years ago I went on a tour with my junior high all around Europe. Paris was one of my favorite stops."

"Thanks, Valerie." Donna smiled back, then turning back to the three girls who were actually her friends and not some outsider who was trying to break into their little clique, she added, "I'm going to miss you guys so much. You promise you'll write me, right?"

"Every day!" Andrea quickly agreed. "Well, maybe every week."

"You're going to have such a blast, Donna." Brenda gave Donna a quick peck on the cheek. "I promise."

"I'm going to try." Donna nodded.

"There's the shuttle." Kelly announced as a blue and yellow airport van pulled up alongside the curb. Dylan, Brandon and Steve, who had been standing a bit off from the group came up to the girls, each murmuring their goodbyes to Donna before she climbed into the van.

"Don't cry, now! You'll smear your makeup!" Kelly called after Donna as the door began to shut. The small group watched as the shuttle pulled away, Donna waving from the window until the van disappeared from sight.

"Come on, guys. Let's get inside." Brandon announced, gesturing back towards the house. "Cindy made pancakes and hot chocolate for everyone. Let's get 'em while they're hot."

"Alright." A happy smile spread across Valerie's lips. "Cindy Walsh's famous pancakes. Is it too much to hope for some homemade maple syrup?"

"Unfortunately we ran out of syrup last year." Brenda informed Valerie, her expression sympathetic. "Bobby kept saying he would have his mom send us some, but no such luck yet."

"Darn." Valerie sighed. "I missed your mom's pancakes and syrup."

"Well, if we don't hurry, you're going to miss them again." Kelly came up alongside Valerie, her expression guarded but friendly. "Steve's been known to eat an entire batch by himself."

"You're kidding." Valerie glanced over at the curly-haired blonde who already had a good lead on the rest of the gang.

"Unfortunately, I'm not." Kelly shook her head. Then, seeing there was no chance they'd reach the door before Steve, she called after him, "Save some for the rest of us, Steve!"

"You snooze you loose!" Steve called back as he ducked inside.

"Don't worry, Kel." Brandon jogged up alongside Kelly. "I'll make sure there's plenty of pancakes left." He then hurried after Steve, leaving Valerie, Kelly, and Andrea walking up to the house alone.

Valerie shot a glance over her shoulder, noticing that both Brenda and Dylan had lingered at the curb, their eyes fixated on one another. Valerie doubted either was aware of anything else except the person standing opposite them.

"Man. She's got it bad, doesn't she?" She commented to no one in particular.

"Yeah, she does." Andrea answered her. "I don't know Brenda too well, but according to Brandon, she's never been like this with any guy before."

"Well, Dylan is Brenda's first serious boyfriend." Kelly informed them as if it were something Valerie didn't already know. "They really are perfect for each other. Just a little intense at times. I think that's why Jim gets so upset."

"Jim has never really cared for anyone Brenda dated." Valerie shrugged. "No guy is ever good enough for his little girl. Unfortunately, he's never been quite so hard on the girls Brandon has chosen to date. He's picked some real losers in his time."

"Really?" Andrea asked and Valerie noticed that both girls' interest was piqued. "What sort of girls did he date in Minnesota?"

"Honestly, I didn't meet most of them. But the ones I did meet…" Valerie shook her head. The truth was, she had never met a single one of Brandon's girlfriends and according to Brenda, Brandon had only seriously dated one girl since the Malones had moved to Buffalo. Some girl named Cheryl that supposedly Valerie knew but couldn't remember for the life of her.

"They were that bad?" Kelly prompted Valerie, her dark eyes probing her.

"Sometimes. Some of them were halfway decent." Valerie continued the lie, enjoying the feeling of power she was experiencing over the two girls who obviously had a thing for the male Walsh twin. "Most of them, though. It was obvious they were after only one thing."

"Yeah. I know the type." Andrea let out a weary sigh. "Seems like girls who won't give it up never stand a chance against those types of girls."

"What are you saying, Andrea?" Kelly frowned at the curly-haired girl.

Andrea's cheeks flushed and she looked away. "Um, nothing. It wasn't like that, Kelly. I just meant that-"

"No, it's okay. I know what you meant." Kelly's face was an emotionless mask. "Look, I'm going to go get some pancakes. I'll catch up with you later."

Valerie and Andrea watched Kelly go, Valerie shaking her head. "Geeze. What was that about? You really hit a nerve with her, didn't you?"

Andrea shrugged, still obviously embarrassed by her earlier comment. "I didn't mean it that way. It's just, well, Kelly's a little sensitive about her reputation."

"Her reputation?" Valerie repeated, trying to keep the sly smile from her lips. "What reputation?"

"Brenda didn't tell you?"

"She's mentioned a few things." The lie came easily to Valerie's lips. "You're talking about how Kelly sleeps around?"

"Slept around." Andrea corrected. "And that was just the rumor. I don't really know the truth behind the rumors, though. I just know she dated a lot of guys our freshman year and some things were said about her that may or may not be the truth."

"So you're saying Kelly's easy?"

"No!" Andrea immediately exclaimed. "That wasn't what I was saying at all. It's just, well, it's complicated. Look, this is all coming out wrong. Kelly's an amazing girl and anything that might have been true our freshman year is the farthest thing from the truth now. Please don't say anything about this to Kelly. I don't want her to think that I was, well, you know…"

"Talking about her behind her back?" Valerie supplied. "Not a problem, Andrea. My lips are sealed. Now, why don't we leave these two lovebirds alone and see if there's any breakfast left for us. Brandon said he'd save some pancakes for Kelly. He didn't say anything about us."

Andrea pursed her lips and nodded. Valerie thought she saw a brief flash of pain flicker in the brunette's eyes and she felt a little surge of triumph. She wasn't exactly sure why she was toying with Kelly and Andrea over their mutual feelings for Brandon, but she was enjoying it immensely. She finally felt as if she had some control, even if it was just over a couple of pathetic little avocado heads.

'Maybe this summer won't suck so bad after all.' She thought to herself as she slung her arm over Andrea's shoulders, guiding the other girl back towards the house, a wide grin spreading across her lips.

_Author's Notes:_

_To any Valerie fans out there – sorry if I'm portraying her as a manipulative, scheming bitch. I adore Valerie but honestly, she kinda was one. Don't worry. There will be other facets of her coming out throughout this story. Anyway… Next chapter is going to be a Donna one. But then I've got a Brenda and Dylan moment coming up after that, so hurry and leave feedback so I will write the Donna chapter and then on to Brenda/Dylan. Feedback makes me write faster. I promise. :)_

_Cheers,_

_Jianna_


	10. Ten: Worth Waiting For

_Author's Notes:_

_Hey everyone! New part. I'm so sorry for taking so long to update this baby. I was distracted by The Error Proof Test. Plus, I had promised a Donna chapter and for a writer, that isn't exactly something to look forward to. LOL Though admittedly, it wasn't as difficult as I thought it was going to be. I only nodded off twice while writing. Just kidding. Anyway… The whole chapter isn't about Donna. I gave a little present to all those BD fans out there. Though please don't get upset with me for how the chapter ends… _

_Cheers,_

_Jianna_

**Chapter Ten**

**.*.*.*.**

**Worth Waiting For**

Donna shivered a little, wrapping her Dolce & Gabbana sweatshirt a little tighter around her slim frame. She closed her eyes and slumped a little further down in the molded plastic seat at LaGuardia International Airport in New York City, silently wishing she had thought to bring some headphones or something to help kill the boredom. She was thankful this was her only layover on the way to Pairs, a trip that up until yesterday she had finally been looking forward to.

As much as Donna tried to be understanding to both Kelly and Brenda, she was really struggling to keep from being angry with them. Kelly bailing on her had been difficult enough, but when Brenda had been the one to take Kelly's place, Donna had been alright with it. Brenda flaking, though, was almost too much for Donna to handle. If she hadn't known Brenda had a very good reason behind her last minute cancelation, Donna probably would have been ranting and raving at her friend. Or at least internally.

She let out a long sigh, pulling out an old, thumbed through issue of _Vogue_. Kelly had always complained that the clothes in those magazines weren't "real people" clothes, but Donna loved looking through the glossy pages, making notes on the designs she particularly liked and what she might do differently if she had made the dress herself. She had gotten so bad that she had begun to filch her mother's copy before Felice had even had a chance to look through them herself.

As she skimmed through the pages, her eyes lit upon a spread of Christy Turlington wearing various floral designs. Though Donna would never pair a pink top with yellow flower print capris, she loved the design and made a note of the designer. Though she knew her closet would be overflowing with clothes after her trip to Paris, Donna knew her mother would love the shirt as well and would no-doubt concede to paying the rather ridiculous price.

"Is this seat taken?"

Donna glanced up, her cheeks flushing involuntarily as she stared at quite possibly the most gorgeous young man she had ever laid eyes on. He was young, probably no more than her age, but extremely well-built with a charming smile and chocolate brown eyes that could melt even Kelly's heart.

"Hi." She found herself grinning like an idiot at him. "Um, of course you can sit here. It's a free country." She paused to glance about the waiting area, noticing that there were quite a few free seats he could have taken, yet he chose to sit next to her.

"Thanks." He dropped his lean form into the chair next to her, a lopesided smile still lingering on his lips. He extended his hand to greet her. "My name's Joe Bradley."

"Hello, Joe." Donna smiled prettily back at him. "My name is Donna Martin." She shook his hand, noting that his hands were rough were calluses. "So what brings you to LaGuardia today?"

"Paris." Joe informed her, his full attention focused on her. Donna enjoyed that. Whenever she was talking with David she felt as if he was distracted by something else at the same time. It was always frustrating and was the root of several of their arguments.

"Paris? Really?" Donna could not believe the coincidence. "So am I. Just for the summer, though. My school is doing a whole 'study-abroad', immersion program. I didn't do so well in my French class this past year so my parents thought it might be a good idea to send me."

Joe chuckled, shaking his head. "Me too. Though I actually did pretty good in my French class. So, where are you from, Donna?"

"Los Angeles. You?"

"Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania." Joe informed her importantly. "You've probably never heard of them, but they have a killer high school football team."

"Really?"

"Uh huh." Joe continued, running his fingers through his dark brown hair, pushing it away from his face. "Their quarterback is pretty phenomenal. There's rumors that California University is offering him a full-scholarship to play there."

Donna eyed him suspiciously, noting that his muscular build and his callused hands could quite possibly have been caused by playing football. "Let me guess," She played his game, "You know this famous quarterback, huh?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. I also hear he's a pretty terrific guy." Joe postured. "Has a soft spot for pretty blondes, too."

Donna blushed, ducking her head coyly. "Well, that quarterback should be a bit careful when he goes to CU. California blondes have been known to eat guys from Pennsylvania alive before."

Joe grinned at her. "All of them?"

"No." Donna shook her head. "Not all of them. _I'm_ nice, but I…" She trailed off, realizing that she was about to tell him she had a boyfriend. Just the thought of David brought tears to her eyes and she quickly looked away, trying to ignore the painful constricting in her chest.

"Donna?" Joe sounded alarmed and he placed a tentative hand on her shoulder. "Donna? Are you okay? I'm sorry if I said something to upset you. I just-"

"No." Donna brushed him off, forcing herself to look back at the cute football player. "I'm sorry. I'm just a bit emotional right now. I don't really know why I'm telling you this, but my boyfriend and I just broke up yesterday. Though I suppose I should say _he_ broke up with me."

Joe's face filled with compassion and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze before returning it to his lap. "I'm awfully sorry to hear that, Donna. I can tell that you really cared for him."

"I did." She paused, biting down on her lip. "I do. He was my first boyfriend and silly me thought we were going to be together for forever."

"I'm sorry, Donna. That's tough." Joe watched her tender understanding. Donna couldn't really explain why, but she felt instantly comfortable around him, almost as if she had already known him for years.

"Well," She stated, dabbing at her tears with a tissue she had produced from her purse so she would not mess up her makeup. "He wanted something that I just wasn't ready to give him. If sleeping with him was the only thing that would make our relationship last, then our relationship was not that strong to begin with."

Admiration shimmered in Joe's eyes as he whistled in amazement. "So, you're telling me your boyfriend broke up with you because you wouldn't sleep with him?"

Donna nodded slowly, wondering if maybe she was just seeing things. She had not met a single guy who had reacted positively towards her decision to remain a virgin until her wedding night. Except for David, that was. He had been mostly understanding, though as their relationship progressed he had gotten more and more impatient.

"That's commendable, Donna." Joe complimented her. "Your ex-boyfriend is a jerk anyway."

"No. He's a really nice guy, actually. We've been dating for quite awhile now and all our friends are having sex. We've talked about it a lot, but I'm not ready to go back on the commitment I made to myself when I was younger."

"Don't." Joe stated firmly. "Don't ever go back on that. Once you start compromising on what you believe in, you compromise yourself and everything is lost. Believe me, I understand what you're going through. It's frustrating – extremely so – and most people you date just won't get it, but in the end, I'm sure it's worth it."

Donna furrowed her brow, studying Joe thoughtfully, not really sure she was interpreting his words correctly. She had met a few other girls who had admitted to being virgins and wanting to wait until they were married, or at least engaged, but if she was reading him correctly, Joe was the first man.

"Yeah. You guessed it, Donna." Joe chuckled at her perplexed expression. "I'm a virgin too, and intend on staying that way until my wedding night."

"Really?" Donna didn't know if she could believe him. He was an incredibly good looking man, and a football player. It must be even more difficult for him than it was for her. "You mean you've never slept with anyone? Ever?"

"Nope. Never." Joe admitted. "Is that such a bad thing?"

"No, Joe." Donna smiled, feeling a strange fluttering inside her chest. "It's a good thing. A very good thing."

~*~*~*~

Brenda let out a long, contended sigh as she snuggled up against her boyfriend's bare chest, enjoying the feeling of her naked body next to his. After dating for nearly two years now, Brenda was fairly confident that she knew his lithe frame nearly as well as she knew her own – probably even more so.

"You asleep?" She murmured softly close to his hear, nibbling the lobe just a little, hoping that he wasn't.

"Hum."

"I asked you if you were asleep." Brenda snuggled deeper against him, tracing her finger along his chest, dancing around his nipple, enjoying seeing the reaction she was immediately getting.

"Not anymore." He turned his head so he could face her. After making love, Dylan always nodded off for at least a few minutes. However, after all the trouble they had landed in only a few months ago, Brenda was careful to stay awake. Instead, she'd watch him sleep, memorizing the smooth planes of his face, the way his eyelashes curled ever so slightly, and how when he spent too much time in the sun, the scar in his eyebrow stood out bright white against his tanned skin.

"Good." She purred, nuzzling his neck as she shifted her body atop his. "Because I need to go home soon and I don't want to have to walk."

"I'm not too sure your parents are going to be pleased to see me at Casa Walsh anytime soon, Bren." Dylan caution as he ran his hands along her bare back, slowly moving them lower. "I think its best if I lay low for a little while. They may not have made a scene at the party, but I could tell Jim was pretty upset you canceled on the trip to Paris at the last minute."

"Yeah, but you're not upset, are you?" Brenda giggled as she wriggled impossibly close to him. Her lips met his, mouths opening, her tongue dancing with his intricately. She poured her entire self into that kiss, feeling his body react strongly to her nearness. Her body was filled with an undeniable desire to be with him again, for the fourth time that morning.

"Never." He mumbled against her neck after they broke apart. He wrapped his arms around her, shifting his body so he now dominated and Brenda was underneath. He hovered over her, grinning impishly. "I could never be upset about something that means I get to spend more time with you."

Brenda let out a low moan of anticipated pleasure as she eyed him suggestively. "I am the luckiest girl in the world, Dylan."

"And why is that?"

"Because I'm right here, right now. With you." Brenda replied. "I wish it could be this way for forever."

"Yeah, but you said you need to get home soon. I don't think your parents even realized you were leaving." Dylan commented and Brenda knew he was right. They had snuck off to his house after everyone had gone inside after seeing Donna off early that morning. Though Jim and Cindy may not have noticed her absence right away, it had been several hours and they had no doubt figured out where she had gone by now.

As if her parents were reading her mind, the phone in the living room began to ring shrilly, echoing through the thin walls of Dylan's bungalow home.

"That's probably them." Brenda sighed wearily, realizing that unless she wanted to find herself grounded for the entire summer she and Dylan would be able to have round four.

"Let the machine get it." Dylan became the aggressor, lowering his mouth to her neck, kissing her and causing shivers of pleasure to course through her body. His kisses trailed downward, Dylan making sure he hit all of Brenda's favorite spots.

Brenda did not know if she could hold out any longer. She groaned her approval as their bodies began to move together, wrapping her legs around him as she drew him closer. Dylan grinned down wickedly at her, his eyes ablaze with built up passion. Brenda drew his head down, her lips melting against his and at last they were one.

Twenty minutes later, Brenda lay flat on her back on Dylan's bed, the covers crumpled on the floor. She glanced sideways at her lover, a contented smile on her lips. "Hey." She murmured softly, reaching out, intertwining her fingers through his.

"Hey." He breathed back.

"You know I love you, right?"

Dylan nodded. "I love you too, Bren. I love you more than anyone I've ever loved before in my life."

Brenda licked her lips nervously, the impact of his words sinking in. She knew there had been numerous women in Dylan's life before her. She knew that she had benefited greatly from what those women had taught him. However, she had always been a bit concerned, worried somehow that she didn't quite measure up. She hated doubting herself – or Dylan for that matter – but she couldn't help but feel just a little insecure, especially if they had been fighting recently.

Pushing aside her self-doubt, Brenda slid her body next to Dylan's, curling up against his chest as he ran his fingers through her long, raven locks. "I need to get you home."

Brenda nodded, wishing that she could linger in his embrace for forever. "Yeah. My parents are probably pretty upset. But what else is new? I wish they would just accept you. Accept _us_."

"Somehow, Bren," Dylan paused, kissing her head tenderly, "I don't think your father will ever accept me. He made it very clear from the start that he thought I wasn't good enough for you. Fathers don't generally change their minds about those sorts of things."

"Maybe I can get my mom to work on him a bit. Get him to lighten up a little bit. Maybe then you can at least start coming over again."

"Yeah." Dylan commented absently. "I was actually a little surprised they let me come over early yesterday."

"With everything that was happening with Val, they were pretty distracted." Brenda explained, failing to mention that she hadn't bothered to ask her parents if it was okay if Dylan was a couple hours early for the party. She had just made sure they had laid low until the majority of the guests had begun to arrive.

Dylan nodded, slowly sitting up, forcing Brenda from her comfortable position. He sat at the edge of the bed for several minutes, his back to her, his head hanging low against his chest. She watched him anxiously. Something about his posture worried her.

She pushed herself into an upright position, sliding up behind him, wrapping her arms around his lean form. "Dylan, what's wrong?" She inquired, resting her head against his back.

He said nothing for several seconds and Brenda began to wonder if he had even heard her. At last he let out a tired sigh, turning his head just a little so he could see her. "It's nothing, Bren. Get dressed. I'm going to take you home."

Brenda obeyed, scooping up her discarded clothing in her arms. She hesitated a moment, wondering if she should go into the bathroom and get dressed, but discarded that notion as silly. She had no reason to be self-conscious in front of Dylan. She quickly pulled on her faded jeans and slipped her tee-shirt on.

"Alright." She announced once she was fully dressed. She glanced up, noting that Dylan had gotten dressed during that time as well. "I'm ready."

Dylan nodded in acknowledgment, leading her out of his bedroom. He stopped at his answering machine, staring down at the red glowing number one for a brief second before pressing the play button.

"Hello Dylan." The a male voice Brenda did not recognize began. "My name is Tony Marchette. You do not know me, but I am an associate of your father's. I would like to meet with you, if you would be willing. Please contact my secretary to set something up." He rattled off a phone number in the 310 area code, then the answering machine clicked off.

"That was strange." Brenda commented as they headed out the door. "Has your father ever mentioned this guy before?"

Dylan shook his head. "Nope."

"Are you going to meet with him?"

"I don't see why I would." Dylan returned, holding open the passenger's side door of his black Porsche for Brenda to get in. "Probably just some guy who wants to make sure Jack won't rat him out while in prison."

"You don't know that, Dylan." Brenda cautioned. There had been something in the man's tone that had given her the chills, though she couldn't put her finger on why. "You should call him back. At least talk with him to see what he wants."

"Not interested, Bren."

"Alright." Brenda consented, recognizing the tone he used when he wanted her to drop it. He had been using it a lot lately, though mostly when Brenda was talking to him about college and taking his SATs. College was a very sore subject for Dylan, though Brenda could not understand why.

They made the short drive from Dylan's house to Casa Walsh in complete silence, Brenda wishing she could say something to bring Dylan out of his bad mood. He pulled up alongside the curb, leaning over and giving Brenda a quick kiss on the lips before she jumped out.

"Bye, Bren." He stated.

"Will I see you later?" She inquired, pushing her wind-blown hair out of her eyes.

"I dunno." He replied nonchalantly. "Maybe."

"What's going on, Dylan?" Brenda frowned down at him from outside the car, wishing she could somehow get him to open up to her. "You've been acting funny today."

"It's nothing." He brushed her off. "Just know I love you. No matter what happens, Bren. I love you." He stared at her for a beat then pulled his car door shut, driving off, leaving Brenda staring after him wondering what on earth she had done wrong.

_Author's Notes:_

_Alright, don't go jumping to conclusions. Nothing bad is going to happen to Brenda and Dylan. I just need to have their relationship go through some growing pains so they're at a similar, yet better, point by the end of the summer. Better meaning, no cheating going on. Don't stress. They're not breaking up either. This is just Dylan being Dylan. _

_Anyway… The next part will be some more going ons at Casa Walsh. Methinks some interaction between Andrea and Brandon as well as Kelly and Steve is in order, don't you? _

_Cheers,_

_Jianna_


	11. HIATUS SORRY!

Hey everyone… I'm so sorry this isn't an actual update. I have been super busy juggling work and life right now and haven't really had much time to write. Plus, honestly, I haven't been feeling inspired to write _Summer Lovin'_ at all. I'm not going to give up on this baby, but I feel that in order to write the story the way it should be written, I need to put it on hiatus for the time being. I'm sorry. I know a lot of you have been waiting anxiously for me to update and this is sort of discouraging to see that I'm not going to be updating any time soon, but I'd much rather take my time and write the story right then post crap that I regret the instant I publish it.

However, I am not stopping writing all together… I'm not putting _The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same_ on hiatus and I'm actually posting a new story that I _have_ been super inspired to write within the next day or so called _I Choose You_. It's just _Summer Lovin'_ and _The Sins of Yesteryear_ that I'm putting on the back burner for now.

I'm sorry… Don't give up on me. If I suddenly feel inspired to write either story I'll get something posted right away. I promise. :)

Cheers,

Jianna

P.S.

Hope to see you in TMTCTMTSTS or ICY. :)


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